Zamfara Abduction: Obi Decries Normalisation of Insecurity, Says Peace Shouldn’t Be Optional for Nigerians
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed dissatisfaction with the normalisation of insecurity in Nigeria, asserting that citizens deserve to live in a peaceful country.
Obi made the remark on Tuesday following the abduction of no fewer than 55 people in Zamfara, even as a peace deal had reportedly been declared in Katsina State.
“While news headlines are still celebrating a purported peace deal in Katsina, we were again confronted with another unfortunate reality that 55 of our fellow citizens were abducted in neighbouring Zamfara State. This contradiction speaks to a disturbing truth, that insecurity has become a normal everyday occurrence in Nigeria.
“We are now in a situation where abductions, killings, and violent attacks occur almost daily. This normalisation of tragedy is dangerous. Behind every number are families torn apart, dreams cut short, and futures stolen,” he lamented.
Obi explained that a nation cannot grow or prosper when its citizens live in perpetual fear, noting that it now seems as though the lives of Nigerians do not matter.
“What is the value of the life of one Nigerian, when hundreds are kidnapped and killed daily without a national emergency on insecurity? If the lives of many are taken for granted, how then can the life of one Nigerian be valued?” the politician questioned.
He said that when a government remains silent in the face of constant bloodshed, it diminishes the dignity of every single citizen.
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that the first duty of leadership is to protect life, adding that until leaders place the highest premium on the safety of every Nigerian, they cannot claim to be building a nation.
He further stated: “We must urgently prioritise the protection of lives and property. Our people deserve a country where peace is not an option but the standard. Nigerians will not accept insecurity as their fate.”
