The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to declare a “national war” on insecurity, citing the alarming rate of violence and loss of life in Nigeria.
Mr. Obi’s call followed reports that over 100 people were killed in a wave of violent attacks across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states over the weekend.
Obi described the situation as a “full-blown security emergency,” emphasizing that Nigeria’s casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war.
“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers,” Obi wrote on X on Sunday.
He further said, “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. 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 urged the government to mobilize all resources and agencies to reclaim the nation from lawlessness, suspending all distractions and focusing on security.
Obi condoled the families of fallen heroes and stressed that their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.
The former Anambra State governor warned that insecurity is the quickest path to national collapse, citing Somalia and Libya as examples.
He emphasised the need for urgent action to rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and productive nation.
