Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate Peter Obi has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in Nigeria’s North-Central region, urging governments at all levels to take immediate steps to protect communities from further attacks.
Obi, in a statement shared on his X account on Sunday, expressed concern over recent killings and abductions reported in Benue, Plateau and Niger states. He described the situation as part of a broader national security crisis that requires urgent and decisive intervention.
According to Obi, the violence has left communities vulnerable, with residents facing killings, abductions, destruction of property and the loss of their livelihoods.
He referenced recent reports from Mangu in Plateau State, where dozens of people were reportedly killed and several homes destroyed during an attack in Jwak Maitumbi. He also pointed to reports of deadly attacks and mass abductions in Borgu, Niger State, while noting that some of the figures remain disputed.
Obi said the continuing violence was particularly disturbing because Nigeria is not officially at war, yet ordinary citizens are increasingly being attacked in their communities and forced to abandon their homes and farms.
He called on the authorities to move beyond reacting to attacks after they occur and instead focus on preventing them. He urged governments to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve the capacity of security agencies to respond rapidly to threats, rescue abducted citizens and ensure that suspected perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.
The former governor stressed that protecting citizens and their property is one of the fundamental responsibilities of government and warned against allowing insecurity to become a permanent feature of life in Nigeria.
He said the country cannot continue to respond to each attack by simply counting casualties after lives have already been lost.
Obi urged the government to take immediate and sustained action to restore security and protect vulnerable communities, emphasizing that Nigerians deserve to live without fear of being killed, abducted or driven from their homes.
He concluded with a stark warning that Nigeria must not be allowed to descend into a situation where widespread violence becomes the norm.
Insecurity: Obi Warns Against Nigeria Becoming a ‘Killing Field’
