Insecurity: Our nation under siege — Peter Obi

By Goli Innocent

Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised Nigeria’s political leadership for focusing on the next election while insecurity continues to spread across the country.

Obi made the remarks in a statement shared via his official social media account X, expressing deep concern over the worsening security situation nationwide.

According to him, the country is facing an alarming wave of violence affecting several regions. “Our nation is clearly under siege, and the scale of insecurity is becoming unbearable, spreading widely all over the country,” Obi said, warning that the growing insecurity now threatens both lives and livelihoods across Nigeria.

He cited a recent attack in the Ngoshe community of Borno State where terrorists reportedly overpowered soldiers and civilians. “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,” he stated.

Lamenting the treatment of fallen security personnel, Obi said the sacrifices of soldiers were often ignored. “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 added.

The former governor also pointed to the spread of insecurity in other parts of the country including Nasarawa State, Kogi State and Benue State, where he said residents had complained about terrorists occupying farms and forests. “In Nasarawa’s Kadarko area alone, 14,318 civilians are now registered as internally displaced persons,” he said.

Obi further expressed concern that the security crisis was creeping into the nation’s capital, citing a recent abduction in Kubwa. “The wave of terror has now brazenly crept into our nation’s capital. The attack in Kubwa, Abuja, just this week saw about 19 citizens abducted from their homes, including women and children,” he said.

He accused the political class of paying insufficient attention to the crisis, saying leaders appeared more concerned about elections than security.

“The ruling class are instead devastatingly more preoccupied with how to snatch, grab, and run away with the next election,” Obi said, adding, “These are not just news items. Nigerians deserve commitment and leadership that puts their safety and welfare first.”