Former Governor of Anambra State and leader of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the escalating insecurity in Sokoto State and across the nation, stating that it is unacceptable for any Nigerian to live in constant fear of violence or death.
In a statement released today by his media office, Obi decried the recent surge in banditry, kidnappings, and other violent crimes in Sokoto, describing the situation as a direct failure of the government’s primary constitutional responsibility to protect the lives and property of citizens.
“The reports coming out of Sokoto State are deeply disturbing. It is a tragedy that our citizens are being relentlessly attacked, abducted, and killed by non-state actors in their own homeland,” Obi said. “Nigerians should not live in fear. The primary purpose of any government is the security and welfare of the people. When that foundation crumbles, the very essence of the social contract is broken.”
Obi expressed profound sorrow for the families who have lost loved ones and those currently living under the shadow of terror, particularly in rural communities that have become easy targets for criminal elements. He called on the federal and state governments to immediately synergize their security apparatus to dismantle the criminal networks operating with seeming impunity.
“We cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach while our citizens are being slaughtered,” he added. “Security agencies must be adequately equipped, well-motivated, and strategically deployed to secure every corner of this nation. The government must adopt a proactive, intelligence-driven approach to end this carnage.”
The former presidential candidate reiterated his call for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s security architecture, emphasizing that a nation cannot thrive when its citizens are terrified to go to their farms, travel on highways, or sleep peacefully in their homes.
“A new Nigeria is possible,” Obi stated. “But we cannot build that new Nigeria on the foundation of bloodshed and fear. We must secure the country first. I urge the government to treat this as the national emergency it is and act with the urgency it demands. Our people in Sokoto, and all over Nigeria, deserve to live in peace.”
He concluded by offering his condolences to the government and people of Sokoto State, praying for the repose of the souls of the victims and a swift recovery for the injured.