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The presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has denounced the recent mass murders in Benue State, attributing these horrific acts, allegedly committed by armed herdsmen, to a failure of leadership in Nigeria.
In a statement shared on X on Sunday, Obi expressed his sorrow over the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of women, children, soldiers, and displaced individuals.
“My heart is heavy as I learn of yet another horrific series of killings in Benue of women, children, soldiers, and displaced persons, all senselessly slain.
“This tragedy has become too common in our national life, and the Benue situation now calls for a national emergency,” Obi said.
He called for an immediate national response, cautioning against the increasing normalisation of mass killings in the country.
The former governor stated that the extent of the violence surpasses isolated incidents and illustrates a broader failure in governance. He expressed disappointment over the ongoing inability of governments at all levels to fulfil their fundamental responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, noting that every life lost is a significant wound for the nation.
“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?.”
Obi expressed his condolences to the bereaved communities in Benue, assuring them that their pain was not overlooked. He urged authorities to go beyond just talking and take meaningful, decisive actions to ensure the safety of vulnerable communities.
