Peter Obi says the killings in Benue and Plateau show Nigeria can no longer rely on routine condemnations, urging authorities to build a proactive security system and hold perpetrators accountable.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned the latest wave of violence in Benue and Plateau states, saying the country can no longer accept what he described as a “relentless cycle of bloodshed.”
Mr Obi’s reaction followed fresh attacks within the Po Local Government Area of Benue State and the m Local Government Area of Plateau State that left dozens of people dead.
“The tragic news of yet another round of killings in Benue and Plateau States is both painful and deeply disturbing,” Mr Obi said in a statement on Monday.
“The reported murder of at least sixteen innocent Nigerians in the Otukpo-Nobi community of Benue State, alongside the horrific killing of nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, once again reminds us that the relentless cycle of bloodshed in parts of our country has persisted for far too long.”
He said communities in Benue, Plateau and other parts of Nigeria had endured years of violence, displacement and fear.
“For years, families in Benue, Plateau and other communities across Nigeria have lived under the constant shadow of fear, violence and displacement. Mothers have buried their children, children have become orphans overnight, farmers have abandoned their lands, and entire communities have been left devastated. We cannot continue to accept this tragic cycle as though it were normal. It is not,” he said.
Mr Obi stressed that protecting lives and property remained the government’s foremost responsibility.
“The primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property. Every Nigerian life is sacred, and every life lost is one too many. These are not mere statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, breadwinners and future leaders whose dreams have been violently cut short,” he said.
He urged the government to move beyond routine condemnations after attacks and instead strengthen the country’s security architecture.
“The time has come to move beyond routine condemnations after every attack. Nigerians deserve a security architecture that is proactive rather than reactive, driven by intelligence, rapid response and accountability. Those responsible for these atrocities must be identified, arrested and prosecuted. The culture of impunity must end,” he said.
Mr Obi also extended his condolences to the victims’ families and the governments of Benue and Plateau states.
“This is not about politics. It is about humanity. We must summon the collective will to secure our nation and restore hope to our people. No country can develop when its citizens live in fear, and no society can prosper when innocent blood continues to flow unchecked,” he added.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that suspected armed attackers killed several residents in coordinated attacks on Akpachi village in Ugboju and Otukpo-Nobi communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, later confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that eight people, comprising five adults and three children, were killed in what he described as “purely a terrorist attack.”
The attacks sparked protests in Otukpo as youths carried victims’ bodies to the Och’Idoma Palace, demanding urgent government action to halt the recurring violence.
Amnesty International has called for an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the Benue attacks, warning that repeated assaults on rural communities have worsened the humanitarian crisis in the state, where more than 500,000 people have been displaced by years of violence.
In Plateau State, suspected gunmen on Saturday night killed at least nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, during an attack on Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area.
Residents said the attackers stormed the communities at about 11:30 p.m., shooting indiscriminately and attacking people in their homes.
The latest killings occurred despite recent changes to Plateau’s security architecture by Governor Caleb Mutfwang and ongoing military operations aimed at curbing violent attacks across the state.
