Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to launch a coordinated “national war” against insecurity following a spate of violent attacks that claimed more than 100 lives across several states over the weekend.
In a statement shared on X, Obi described the killings in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo as proof that Nigeria is facing a “full-blown security emergency.”
“The killing of eight NSCDC officers, the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, the kidnapping of travellers on the Benin-Iyere-Oluku road, and the slaughter of five soldiers alongside 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies,” Obi said. “They show that Nigeria is now recording casualty figures comparable to countries officially at war.”
He called for the suspension of government distractions, including foreign trips, until the crisis is brought under control: “Investors will not come into a war zone. True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the fight against insecurity.”
Obi also warned that unchecked violence could push Nigeria toward collapse, citing Somalia and Libya as cautionary tales. He urged the Federal Government to mobilise all resources, agencies, and states to restore law and order.
Paying tribute to fallen officers and civilians, Obi said their sacrifice should inspire urgent national resolve: “We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and to rebuild Nigeria into a secure and productive nation.”
