Failure of leadership responsible for killings in Taraba, Benue and Kogi – Obi

Our reporter/ Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Wednesday condemned the recent surge in killings across parts of northern Nigeria, describing the bloodshed as a national tragedy, a “failure of leadership” undeserving for Nigerians.

Obi, who stated this via a post on X [formerly Twitter], expressed heartbreak over the persistent bloodshed in Taraba, Benue, and Kogi states, calling for urgent action to end the bloodletting.

Obi said, “The news of the continued senseless killings that have gripped parts of Taraba, Benue, and Kogi States in recent times is heartbreaking. Nigeria cannot continue like this.

“This is not the Nigeria we deserve. We must end this bloodshed. We must reclaim our humanity. A new Nigeria is possible. What we are witnessing is not merely violence. It is a failure of leadership and a gaping wound in the soul of our nation.

“I mourn with the good people of Taraba, Benue, and Kogi. I share their grief, and I feel their pain. But I also raise my voice because silence in the face of such horror is complicity. We need urgent action, not rhetoric. We need justice, not excuses.”

The politician further decried the destruction of lives and communities, especially the killing of vulnerable persons including children, women, and men of faith, describing the situation as a prolonged crisis that “shows no sign of abating.”

“The bloodshed is staggering, yet the response remains weak and muted. As homes are destroyed and communities torn apart, we risk normalising the unacceptable: mass killings, displacement, and the collapse of law and order,” he said.

“These are not mere statistics; they are our fellow Nigerians. Each life lost is a tragedy that must not be ignored.”

Obi reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property is the primary duty of any national government, warning that the continued failure to address this crisis poses serious questions about the future of Nigeria.

“When this duty is repeatedly ignored, when innocent citizens are butchered and nothing changes, we must ask ourselves: What kind of nation are we building? What future are we promising our children?”