The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned the recent wave of killings and abductions reported in parts of Nigeria’s North-Central region, warning that the country must not allow insecurity to degenerate into a permanent threat to the lives and livelihoods of citizens.
Obi described the latest attacks in Benue, Plateau and Niger states as a serious national security emergency, urging governments at all levels to take immediate and decisive measures to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further loss of lives.
The former Anambra State governor made the call in a statement published on his X handle on Sunday, expressing concern over what he described as the worsening security situation across several parts of the country.
According to Obi, the attacks recorded in the three North-Central states should not be viewed as isolated incidents. Rather, he said, they form part of a wider pattern of violence that requires a coordinated and sustained response from the Federal Government and other relevant authorities.
“What is happening to our country?” Obi asked, while drawing attention to the recent attacks across Benue, Plateau and Niger states.
He noted that the three states share geographical boundaries and have increasingly experienced attacks by armed groups, resulting in deaths, abductions, displacement and destruction of property.
Obi specifically referenced the reported attack in Jwak Maitumbi, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where at least 23 people were officially reported killed. According to him, residents put the death toll at more than 30, while more than 45 houses were reportedly destroyed.
The NDC presidential candidate also cited attacks in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, where reports indicated that more than 40 people were killed and over 100 others abducted.
He acknowledged, however, that the figures from the Niger State attacks remained contested, underscoring the need for authorities to establish accurate casualty figures and provide reliable information to the public.
Obi further pointed to the continuing violence in Benue State, where several communities have faced repeated attacks, abductions and destruction of homes and livelihoods.
He expressed concern that the security crisis was increasingly affecting ordinary Nigerians in places where they should ordinarily feel safest, including their homes, farms, communities and places of worship.
“Nigeria is not officially at war, yet citizens are being attacked in their villages, abducted after prayers, driven from their homes and stripped of their farms,” he said.
According to Obi, the situation is particularly troubling because insecurity is not only claiming lives but also undermining economic activity and threatening the ability of rural communities to sustain themselves.
Farmers who are forced to abandon their land because of attacks, he argued, face the loss of their livelihoods while the resulting disruption to agricultural production could further aggravate food insecurity.
He therefore called on governments at all levels to regard the protection of lives and property as an immediate priority.
Obi urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering and improve their ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats before attacks occur.
He also called for intensified efforts to rescue Nigerians who have been abducted and ensure that perpetrators of violence are arrested, prosecuted and brought to justice.
“I urge governments at all levels to wake up to their responsibility and take urgent and decisive action to end this madness once and for all,” he said.
The NDC candidate stressed that security operations should not be limited to reacting after communities have already been attacked.
He argued that effective intelligence gathering, early warning mechanisms and rapid intervention could help security agencies prevent attacks and save lives.
“Government must protect vulnerable communities, improve intelligence and rapid-response capabilities, rescue abducted Nigerians, and arrest and prosecute those responsible,” Obi stated.
He also criticised what he described as a pattern of waiting until attacks have occurred before taking action.
According to him, repeatedly announcing casualty figures after violent incidents does little to address the underlying security challenge if authorities fail to prevent subsequent attacks.
“We cannot keep counting bodies after every attack. We must prevent these attacks before they happen,” he said.
The former governor maintained that protecting citizens remains the fundamental responsibility of government and that Nigerians should not have to live in fear of being attacked in their communities.
His comments come amid growing public concern over insecurity in parts of the North-Central region, where attacks have continued to affect communities and generate displacement and economic hardship.
The North-Central zone, comprising states including Benue, Plateau and Niger, has experienced various forms of insecurity, including communal violence, armed attacks, banditry and abductions.
The impact has extended beyond the immediate loss of lives, with affected residents often forced to abandon homes, farms and businesses.
For Obi, the situation requires more than temporary security deployments. He called for a comprehensive strategy capable of addressing the causes and consequences of insecurity while ensuring that communities are adequately protected.
He also stressed the need for accountability, insisting that those responsible for killing and abducting innocent citizens must face the full weight of the law.
The NDC presidential candidate’s intervention adds to growing calls for stronger security measures as concerns over attacks continue to dominate national discourse.
He warned against allowing repeated violence to become normalised or accepted as an inevitable part of life in Nigeria.
“Protecting lives and property is the most basic duty of government. Nigerians deserve nothing less,” Obi said.
He concluded with a strong appeal against the normalisation of violence, declaring: “Nigeria must not become a killing field.”
Obi’s remarks place renewed emphasis on the need for preventive security measures, better intelligence coordination, swift rescue operations and effective prosecution of perpetrators.
As communities in affected parts of the North-Central region continue to deal with the consequences of recent attacks, the NDC candidate urged governments to move beyond expressions of concern and take concrete steps to restore security and confidence.
For Obi, the ultimate measure of any government’s security policy should be its ability to protect citizens before tragedy occurs, rather than merely respond after lives have already been lost.
