The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 election, Peter Obi, on Thursday expressed discontent and sorrow over the endless bloodletting of innocent Nigerians, urging the federal government to up the nation’s security architecture and show more concern for human life.
Obi, in series of tweets, said that the rising insecurity in the country leading to mindless bloodlettings, particularly in the North Central zone of the country and the South East is becoming very worrisome.
The Labour Party flag bearer said that “the violent attacks in the North Central states of Benue and Plateau lately took a new twist with high records of kidnapping, arson, and loss of human lives.”
He noted that the 1st Quarter Mass Atrocities Casualty Tracking Report shows that over 1,230 Nigerians were killed with 79 being security operatives. Within the same period, over 600 persons were abducted in the first quarter of this year alone.
“With what has been happening in the North Central and Zamfara State lately, the figure as of today will be mind-boggling even far more than the deaths recorded in Russia/Ukraine ongoing carnage.”
“It is unacceptable that hundreds of innocent lives will continue to be wasted in Nigeria needlessly through communal clashes, bandit and kidnapping activities.
“The situation in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau states has raised a lot of anxiety because of the number of lives and properties lost with very little resistance from security operatives.
Speaking on the challenge of sit-at-home in the South East, the former Anambra State Governor described as “disturbing, the continued disruption of business and social activities in the South East region over the sit-at-Home directive purported to be coming from the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB when the body has publicly denied issuing such directive.
“What is going on in the South East,, therefore is essentially a criminal activity that must be nipped in the bud by all hands being on the deck, security agencies, and the people.
He however commended the South East Governors for their renewed efforts at curbing this menace but noted that there is a need to be more strategic and intelligence-driven in the approach to reduce the suffering of innocent people.
“Security agencies should take necessary and quick steps to arrest the ugly incidents because the country cannot just be spilling the blood of innocent citizens. We as a people through our various governments should up our value for human lives in the way and manner we respond to issues that touch lives.
“The implications of an unsecured environment to development are far-reaching because no investor will consider going to an area his resources will not be safe and secured.
“I, therefore like to urge critical stakeholders in these areas, traditional, Christian, and Muslim leaders to continue pushing for peace among their peoples in the way and manner they conduct themselves.
“The various governments at all levels should also take deliberate steps to address the issue of poverty and youth unemployment because the provision of stomach infrastructure is the surer way to tackle insecurity.”
Finally, Obi who is always concerned about the suffering poor in society said that urgent steps should be taken consciously and intentionally to ameliorate the hardship of the people.
