The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi, has urged the federal government to declare a “national war on insecurity”, stressing that Nigeria’s death tolls are now comparable to those in countries formally at war.
His statement followed reports that more than 100 people lost their lives in violent incidents across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states over the weekend.
“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers,” he wrote on X, on Sunday.
“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.
“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.”
He expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and emphasised that those behind the attacks must be “swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.”
Obi further said the government must put aside all distractions and direct every available resource to tackle the crisis.
“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 said.
The LP flagbearer also called on government officials to suspend foreign travels until the killings are contained.
“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,” he said.
Obi cautioned that insecurity remains the quickest route to national collapse, pointing to Somalia and Libya as examples.
“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,” he added.