Peter Obi, a former Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 election, condemned the recent killings in Kwara State on Tuesday, calling the attacks terrible and a significant failure for the country.
Obi stated in a post on X that he was “deeply saddened” by reports that gunmen killed over 150 people in areas including Woro and Nuku, and he expressed condolences to the victims’ relatives, as well as the state’s government and citizens.
“Every loss of innocent life is tragic, and these killings represent a major failure for us as a nation,” he wrote.
The former governor of Anambra State said the country’s reoccurring violence highlighted the urgent need to address insecurity, warning that the situation has deteriorated beyond what is seen in certain war-torn nations.
“These recurring acts of violence across our country—now worse than what occurs in some countries at war—underscore the urgent need for us, as a nation, to declare war on insecurity of lives and property and to deploy every possible means to end this scourge,” Obi stated.
He asked the appropriate authorities to act quickly to restore peace, bring culprits to justice, and convince Nigerians that their lives would be safe.
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Obi referred to the fatalities as the result of a horrific attack on the Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, in which gunmen stormed the villages, killing scores of inhabitants and burning homes.
Initial reports indicated that dozens had been slain, but the casualty count eventually increased substantially, with over 100 dead predicted, causing public indignation and fresh criticism of the federal government’s handling of insecurity.
Political leaders, civil society groups, and citizens have condemned the killing, calling for more military operations and a stronger security presence in the impacted districts.
Security personnel were then dispatched to the towns to prevent further attacks, and government authorities promised to bring those guilty to account.
The attack is one of the state’s deadliest episodes in recent memory, reigniting concerns about growing violence throughout the North-Central region.
