On Wednesday, Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, called for the end to bloodshed in Benue, Kogi, and Taraba States.
Obi blamed the killings on the failure of the Nigerian government to tackle insecurity.
Posting on X, Obi said Nigerians can’t continue to experience such, hence leaders should rise up and speak out.
According to Obi: “The news of the continued senseless killings that have gripped parts of Taraba, Benue, and Kogi States in recent times is heartbreaking.
“What we are witnessing is not merely violence. It is a failure of leadership and a gaping wound in the soul of our nation.
“In recent months, a wave of violence has devastated communities across Taraba, Benue, and Kogi, claiming countless lives and wiping out families.
“Among the victims are children, women, and even men of faith, casualties of 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 normalizing the unacceptable: mass killings, displacement, and the collapse of law and order. These are not mere statistics, they are our fellow Nigerians. Each life lost is a tragedy that must not be ignored.
“I have always maintained that the primary duty of the National government is the protection of life and property.
“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?
“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. We as leaders must value human life and will defend it with everything we have.
“Nigeria can not 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.”
