UTME candidates’ abduction: leadership, security failure -Obi

From Sola Ojo, Abuja 

Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has condemned the abduction of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in Benue State, describing it as a tragic reflection of leadership failure and worsening insecurity in the country.

Obi on his verified ‘X’ handle on Friday, said the incident was “not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation.”

He warned that continued attacks on young Nigerians pursuing education pose a grave threat to the country’s future.

“Young Nigerians striving for an education are being met with terror. The country cannot afford further losses given its already low rate of tertiary education attainment.

“In a country where the share of tertiary graduates is already painfully low… this is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence,” Obi stated.

He criticised political leaders for prioritising electoral interests over the safety of citizens, particularly students.

“Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with the next election, rather than deploying that same power to secure our roads, prevent these crimes, and rescue the abducted children,” he added.

The former governor warned that the incident reflected a broader pattern of insecurity across the country.

“This is no longer an isolated tragedy. It is a pattern. It is a national crisis,” he said, calling for “urgent, decisive, and responsible action” from authorities.

Obi further stressed that the continued targeting of young people undermines national development.

“A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future. This cannot continue,” he added, reiterating his belief that “a new Nigeria is possible.”