Peter Obi raises alarm over growing insecurity

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By Madu Obi

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over the escalating insecurity across Nigeria, urging the federal government to declare a national war on violence.

Reflecting on what he described as a “bloody weekend,” Obi highlighted the deaths of over 100 Nigerians across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states.

Among the victims were eight NSCDC officers, five soldiers, and dozens of civilians, alongside the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo and the kidnapping of passengers on the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road.

“These are not isolated tragedies. They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency," Obi said.

According to Obi, the casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war, arguing that the situation requires immediate and decisive action.

“It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilize every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness,” he stated.

He extended his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen, praising the courage of security personnel who risk their lives daily for the nation.

He also criticized government officials for prioritizing foreign trips over domestic security, saying: “True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the war against insecurity. Investors will not come into a war zone.”

Citing the experiences of Somalia and Libya, Obi stressed that no nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege.

“We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and a productive nation", he urged government.