Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised alarm over the rising wave of killings and abductions across Nigeria, warning that the country is on the brink of collapse if urgent action is not taken to end insecurity.
Obi, in a strongly worded statement titled “Nigeria Bleeds, Needs a Declaration of War on Insecurity Now”, condemned the recent spate of violence that left more than 100 people dead in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states.
According to him, the nation witnessed one of its bloodiest weekends.
“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers,” he said.
Obi listed some of the tragic incidents, including the killing of eight NSCDC officers, the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, the kidnapping of passengers on the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road, and the slaughter of five soldiers alongside 58 civilians in Borno.
“These are not isolated tragedies. They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency,” he stressed.
The former Anambra governor expressed sympathy for the families of those killed.
“My deepest condolences go to the families of our fallen heroes. Their courage reminds us that we still have men and women who are willing to risk everything for our safety. Their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten,” Obi declared.
insisting the government must treat the crisis as a national wa, Obi said, .“When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war. This is no longer business as usual. It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness.”
He further criticised government officials for prioritising foreign trips over the safety of Nigerians.
“Even foreign trips by government officials should be put on hold until the situation is brought under control. True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the war against insecurity. Junketing around the world under the pretence of wooing investors, while the country bleeds, is to live in denial. Investors will not come into a war zone,” Obi stated.
“No nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege. History shows that insecurity is the quickest path to national collapse — Somalia and Libya stand as painful warnings,” he warned.
“We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and productive nation for all,” Obi said.
