The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has called on Federal Government to declare national war on insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking on the scores of death that occurred over the weekend, Peter Obi described it as a “bloody weekend,” saying 100 Nigerians across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states were killed.
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.”
He extended condolences to the families of the fallen, praising the courage of security personnel who risk their lives daily for the nation.
Obi warned that the casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war, arguing that the insecurity situation requires immediate and decisive action.
“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 stated.
He also criticised government officials for prioritising 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. He concluded with an urgent call to action: “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”.