The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the rising insecurity in Nigeria, saying that the country is “under siege”.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Obi criticised the Federal Government for remaining “silent” amid the growing insecurity, accusing it of prioritising the 2027 elections over the lives and property of Nigerians.
“Our nation is clearly under siege, and the scale of insecurity is becoming unbearable spreading widely all over the country. This week alone in Borno State’s Ngoshe community, terrorists overpowered soldiers, killing them and several citizens, while abducting more than 100 women and children yet our leaders are silent.
“The sacrifice of our brave and dedicated soldiers is passed in silence. I look forward to the day when our fallen soldiers are given the dignified burials they deserve, with their bodies received and honoured by the nation’s leaders and political authorities,” he stated.
Obi noted that residents of Nasarawa, Kogi, and Benue States say terrorists now flock to their farms and forests, disrupting economic activities and forcing entire villages to flee in fear.
According to him, 14,318 civilians in the Kadarko area of Nasarawa State have now been registered as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“In Oyo State, travellers were abducted in the dead of night along the Kishi‑Igbeti road, their whereabouts still unknown. In Ondo State, criminals shot at, abducted, and wounded innocent citizens,” he decried. “And in Kebbi State, terrorists are on a rampage, killing officers and citizens, making it the third deadly attack this month.”
Obi also lamented that the wave of terror has now brazenly crept into the nation’s capital. “The attack in Kubwa, Abuja, just this week, about 19 citizens were abducted from their homes, including women and children. This is yet another grim reminder that insecurity is no longer distant but now a norm.”
He described the attacks as national tragedies happening simultaneously across the country and claiming the lives of civilians and security operatives alike.
“The primary responsibility of any government is to secure the lives and property of its citizens. Yet, the response from the government in power to all the incidents has been dead silence, as if Nigerian lives no longer matter,” he said.
Obi alleged that the ruling class is instead more preoccupied with how to snatch, grab, and run away with the next election, stressing that these incidents are not just news items and that Nigerians deserve commitment and leadership that put their safety and welfare first.
He added that it is time to restore security, dignity, and hope to every corner of Nigeria.
