The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate has described the reported mass abduction and killing of residents in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State as an emergency requiring urgent government action.
Obi, in a statement on Thursday, said reports of residents being attacked and abducted in their communities and places of worship should “shake the conscience of every Nigerian” and compel the government to act.
“I am deeply disturbed by the reports of the mass abduction of Nigerians in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, following attacks on communities including Dekara and the abduction of worshippers during Juma’at prayers,” he said.
He said reports indicated that as many as 600 people, mostly women, children and elderly persons, might have been abducted, while the exact figure was still being verified.
Obi also said reports indicated that about 30 people may have been killed in the attacks.
“This is one case too many. The fact that Nigerians can be attacked in broad daylight, in their place of worship, abducted in such numbers and taken into the forests should shake the conscience of every Nigerian and compel urgent action from government,” he said.
He called on the government to deploy intelligence-led security operations to rescue the victims, secure affected communities and dismantle the networks allegedly enabling the attackers to operate.
“Government must treat this as an emergency: deploy overwhelming intelligence-led security operations, rescue every person in captivity, secure the affected communities and dismantle the networks and enclaves enabling these terrorists to operate,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor also linked the reported difficulty in the initial rescue response to infrastructure challenges in the area, saying the Police had cited difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge.
“The Police complain that difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge hampered the initial rescue response in Borgu, which supports my consistent plea to concentrate on repairs of existing infrastructure,” he said.
Obi urged the government to prioritise the safety of Nigerians over political considerations, warning that lives lost to insecurity could not be recovered.
“Elections will come and go, but the lives of Nigerians cannot be recovered once lost,” he said.
He expressed solidarity with the Niger State Government, residents and families of those abducted or killed, urging authorities to rescue those in captivity and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens.
“We must bring our people home and restore the confidence that government exists to protect them,” Obi said.
