…Demands Urgent National Mobilisation Against Insecurity
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised alarm over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria, declaring that the country is “in the grip of a full-blown security emergency” and calling for an immediate national declaration of war on insecurity.
In a post on his X account on Sunday, Obi reacted to a string of bloody incidents across the country, which left over 100 people dead in a single weekend in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo States.
Describing the headlines as horrifying, Obi wrote:
“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers. 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 and 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies. They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.”
He extended his condolences to the families of slain security personnel and civilians, praising their courage and sacrifice.
“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 stressed that casualty figures from a single weekend of violence now rival those recorded in countries officially at war.
“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.”
Obi faulted the federal government’s focus on foreign trips and investor roadshows amid the crisis, insisting that national leaders should stay at home to personally coordinate the fight against insecurity.
“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.”
The former Anambra governor warned that unchecked insecurity could push Nigeria toward collapse, citing Somalia and Libya as cautionary examples.
“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 urged urgent, collective action to prevent further deterioration.
“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. A new Nigeria is POssible.”
