Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has said insecurity has become a daily reality in Nigeria.
Obi, reacting to the abduction of 44 worshippers from a mosque in Zamfara State, decried the worsening state of insecurity across the country.
The former Anambra State governor, in a statement on his X page, warned that unless urgent steps were taken to address the crisis, Nigeria might not survive for long.
He lamented that “the normalisation of violence is eroding the nation’s dignity.”
“Insecurity has become a normal everyday occurrence in Nigeria,” Obi said.
He noted that while headlines celebrated a purported peace deal in Katsina, another tragedy struck in neighbouring Zamfara State, where 55 citizens were abducted.
“Behind every number are families torn apart, dreams cut short, and futures stolen. A nation cannot grow or prosper when its citizens live in perpetual fear. It is now as though the lives of Nigerians do not matter. What is the value of the life of one Nigerian when hundreds are kidnapped and killed daily without a national emergency on insecurity? If the lives of many are taken for granted, how then can the life of one Nigerian be valued?” he asked.
Obi faulted what he described as government silence in the face of bloodshed, stressing that leadership’s foremost duty is the protection of life.
“When a government remains silent in the face of constant bloodshed, it diminishes the dignity of every single citizen. The first duty of leadership is to protect life,” he stated.
He further called for urgent action to safeguard Nigerians, insisting that peace should be the standard, not an option.
“We must urgently prioritise the protection of lives and property. Our people deserve a country where peace is not an option but the standard. Nigerians will not accept insecurity as their fate,” Obi said.
