Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over the country’s worsening security crisis, declaring that Nigeria is “bleeding” and urgently needs a national war on insecurity.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Obi lamented the bloody toll of violence across several states over the weekend, where more than 100 Nigerians were killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo.
“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo,” Obi wrote, describing the events as a frightening reality that mirrors Nigeria’s grim security situation.
The former Anambra governor condemned the killing of eight NSCDC officers, the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, the kidnapping of passengers along the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road, and the massacre of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno State, stressing that such tragedies are no longer isolated.
“These are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency,” Obi said, offering condolences to the families of the victims.
“Their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten.”
Obi argued that casualty figures from the weekend rival those of countries officially at war, warning that Nigeria cannot afford to continue with “business as usual.”
READ ALSO: Peter Obi Suspends Public Engagements, Says I Need Medical Rest
“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 declared.
He further called for a halt to foreign trips by government officials, insisting that true leadership must be demonstrated at home through direct coordination of the anti-insecurity campaign.
“Investors will not come into a war zone,” Obi warned, faulting government officials for “junketing around the world under the pretence of wooing investors while the country bleeds.”
The Labour Party stalwart also invoked lessons from history, pointing to Somalia and Libya as countries where insecurity triggered national collapse.
“No nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege,” he said. “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 ended with his trademark assurance: “A new Nigeria is POssible.”