Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the recent killings in Benue State, which he said affected women, children, soldiers, and displaced persons.
In a statement on Sunday, Obi said the tragedy had become too common in “our national life, and the Benue situation now calls for a national emergency.”
Over 200 lives have reportedly been extinguished in a single onslaught, homes burnt, families shattered, and communities left in ruin.
“This is not merely violence. It is a failure of leadership, a stain on our collective conscience. Every life lost is a Nigerian life, each one precious, each one irreplaceable,” Obi said.
“We cannot accept the normalisation of mass killing. It is intolerable. The primary duty of any government, federal, state, or local is to protect lives and property. When it repeatedly fails, we must ask: What kind of nation are we bequeathing to our children?
“To the people of Benue, I say: your pain is our pain. The blood of your loved ones cries out for justice. The survival of our people must not be negotiable; it must be urgent, deliberate, and comprehensive action.”
He called on the relevant authorities to move beyond symbolic gestures to decisive deployment concerning the situation, adding that their actions should speak louder than visits or statements.
He also urged the government to prove its commitment to protecting citizens, saying is the primary duty of any government.
“A safe, secure Benue is not too much to ask, it is our moral duty, our national duty. This is not the Nigeria we deserve, nor the Nigeria we aspire to. We must end this bloodshed. We must reclaim our humanity,” Obi said.