Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has raised alarm over Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, describing abductions and killings as part of daily life for citizens.
Obi, in a statement posted on X on Wednesday, reacted to the recent abduction of 44 worshippers from a mosque in Zamfara State. He warned that the growing normalization of violence is undermining the nation’s dignity.
“Insecurity has become a normal everyday occurrence in Nigeria,” he wrote.
“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.”
The former Anambra governor lamented that the numbers reported hide real human suffering. He said, “Behind every number are families torn apart, dreams cut short, and futures stolen. A nation cannot grow or prosper when its citizens live in perpetual fear. It is now 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?”
He also criticized government silence in the face of ongoing violence, emphasizing that the protection of life is the foremost responsibility of leadership.
“When a government remains silent in the face of constant bloodshed, it diminishes the dignity of every single citizen. The first duty of leadership is to protect life,” Obi stated.
Urging swift action, Obi added, “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.”
