Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has said Nigeria as a country needs the leaders that have the capacity to end insecurity and not those will pamper them.
In a statement on his X handle, yesterday, the former Anambra State governor decried that insecurity has expanded across the country, and in an increasingly brazen manner, saying “a government that truly makes human life a priority does not pamper insecurity, it instead eliminates it.”
“The foremost responsibility of any government is the protection of life and property. Nigeria needs leaders of competence, transparency, and capacity – leaders who will end this insecurity once and for all.”
He was reacting to a viral video of arrested bandit terrorists who were interrogated by troops of the Nigerian Army.
The suspected bandits, arrested by troops in Kwara State, claimed their arms and vehicles were supplied to them by government officials.
In a statement he titled: ‘Insecurity and the crisis of accountability in Nigeria’, Mr. Obi said such allegations call for serious concerns that demand immediate attention and should not be swept under the carpet.
His statement read: “Yesterday, a disturbing video emerged from Kwara State in which suspected terrorists arrested by security forces claimed that ammunition and logistics were supplied to them by government officials.
This allegation, now circulating widely, demands nothing less than an immediate, transparent and independent investigation.
“Over the years, trillions of naira and billions of dollars have been continuously collected by the government in the name of security. Yet insecurity has only expanded across the country, and in an increasingly brazen manner.
“This type of news fallout goes to give credence to the much-referenced quotation of late military leader General Sani Abacha that: ‘Any insurgency that lasts more than 24 hours, the government is involved.’
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo reinforced this point even more directly when he said: “Before I left office, Nigeria could identify and locate anyone who committed any crime anywhere in the country.
“Today, with technology such as drones and improved tracking tools, we can easily locate and remove them. But we are not doing that. Why are we negotiating with terrorists?”
“The government controls telecommunications, intelligence systems, and even financial trails, yet kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism continue to thrive. This reality raises serious questions for those in power.
“Between 2010 and 2015, under President Jonathan, Nigeria built one of the most advanced police communication and tracking infrastructures in its history. These systems were specifically designed to track criminal movements, particularly those of terrorists, monitor communications, and facilitate rapid response.
“We must therefore begin to ask: ‘Where are these pieces of equipment, and why are they not being used? Why do terrorists’ confessions so often implicate government officials?’
“In cases such as the St. Mary’s Catholic School attack, about 100 children were released just days ago, and government officials celebrated. Yet no terrorist was arrested, no punishment announced, and, to this day, no clear update has been given on the more than 200 children and teachers still in captivity.
“Why have we not deployed the equipment already at our disposal to trace these terrorists and rescue the remaining abducted schoolchildren?
“When insecurity persists on this scale, day after day, it points either to complicity or to a failure of leadership. No society should accept either.”