Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has described as ‘frightening’ the recent killings in Borno, Edo, Sokoto and Katsina states.

Obi expressed the feeling in a tweet on his official X handle on Sunday.

Daily Trust had reported how suspected Boko Haram terrorists killed dozens of civilians and soldiers at Darul Jamal in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.

In Katsina, bandits also reportedly killed six people and kidnapped over 130 others across communities in Sabuwa Local Government Area of the State within three days in recent attacks.

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Friday night killed eight officials of the Edo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and abducted a Chinese expatriate in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Reacting to the recent killings in a tweet, Obi lamented that the incidents were “stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.”

He decried that with over 100 Nigerians killed within a week, the casualty figures rivaled those of countries that are officially at war.

He said, “Nigeria Bleeds, Needs a Declaration of War on Insecurity Now.

“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers.

“The killing of eight NSCDC officers, the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, the kidnapping of passengers on the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road, and the slaughter of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies. They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.”

Extending his condolences to the bereaved families, Obi called on government to apprehend and bring to justice the killers of the victims.

“My deepest condolences go to the families of our fallen heroes. Their courage reminds us that we still have men and women who are willing to risk everything for our safety. Their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten.”

He urged authorities concerned to “suspend all distractions” and focus on stemming the tide of the insecurity ravaging the country.

“When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war. This is no longer business as usual. It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness.

“Even foreign trips by government officials should be put on hold until the situation is brought under control. True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the war against insecurity. Junketing around the world under the pretence of wooing investors, while the country bleeds, is to live in denial. Investors will not come into a war zone.

“No nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege. History shows that insecurity is the quickest path to national collapse — Somalia and Libya stand as painful warnings.

“We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and productive nation for all.

A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO” (Weekend Trust)