Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, has urged Nigeria’s Federal Government to wage war on insecurity, stating that no nation can flourish while its residents are under siege.
Obi wrote this on his X account on Monday, in response to reports that over 100 persons were slain in violent attacks across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states over the weekend.
According to Anambra’s previous governor, the assassination of eight Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) workers, the kidnapping of a Chinese national in Edo, and the kidnapping of passengers on the Benin-Iyere-Oluku road constitute an emergency.
“The slaughter of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies; these are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.
“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.
“When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war,” he said.
He stated that it is time to declare a national war on insecurity, mobilize every resource, agency, and state, and halt all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our country from lawlessness.
“No nation can prosper while it lives under siege; history shows that insecurity is the quickest path to national collapse. Somalia and Libya stand as painful warnings.
“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.”
