By Ayomide Otitoju
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend his trip to France and return to Nigeria to address the country’s rapidly deteriorating security situation, particularly in Plateau and Benue States.
In a statement shared on his official X handle on Wednesday, the former Anambra State governor criticised the President’s absence at a time when communities across the country are reeling from violent attacks, including renewed killings in Plateau and Zamfara states and pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta.
“Mr. President, domestic problems beckon,” Obi wrote. “I am compelled at this time in our lives as a nation to call on our retreating President’s attention to the security challenges at home, which entail that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.”
Obi lamented that over 150 Nigerians have been killed within the two weeks of the President’s trip, underscoring the urgency for action. “The primary duty of any government is securing the lives and property of its citizens, and one wonders the type of retreat going on in another country where peace has been secured by their leaders, while blood continues to flow in our country,” he added.
He likened President Tinubu to a chief executive officer retreating abroad while the headquarters of a troubled company is engulfed in crisis.
“The CEO of the troubled company called Nigeria is retreating in a faraway land in France, detached from the company’s headquarters. I therefore urge Mr. President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria the nation seeks,” Obi stated.
Obi, who recently visited victims and families affected by attacks in Plateau’s Bokkos Local Government Area, described the killings as senseless and unacceptable in a country not officially at war.
In a separate statement issued Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed grief over the latest round of violence in Plateau, where over 40 people were killed. The President urged Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang to take decisive action to restore peace and security, calling on all stakeholders to unite across ethnic and religious divides.
“Love and unity must transcend ethnic and religious divides,” Tinubu said, encouraging spiritual and community leaders to work in synergy with the government.
Governor Mutfwang, who visited Zikke community in Bassa Local Government Area on Tuesday following a deadly attack that claimed 51 lives, apologised to residents for the government’s failure to protect them.
“I have been crying since yesterday because I had trusted God that all the arrangements were put in place, that this would not happen again,” the governor said at the palace of the Paramount Ruler in Miango. “But like all human arrangements, sometimes they fail. I want to admit that on Sunday night into Monday morning, we failed you. Please, forgive me.”
Accompanied by top security officials and members of the State Executive Council, the governor also visited grieving families. Victims of the attacks have since been buried, while the community continues to call for stronger and more proactive security measures.
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also visited Plateau State on Tuesday, condemning the violence and promising swift action.
“These heinous killings of innocent citizens cannot go unanswered. We will deploy all available resources to restore peace and hold those responsible accountable,” he assured.
However, shortly after Governor Mutfwang’s visit, fresh violence erupted in Otobi, a community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. Suspected herdsmen launched a night assault, killing seven people, injuring several others, and burning down numerous homes. It marked the second attack on the area this month.
Otobi, which hosts the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Water Dam, has been a repeated target. In December 2023, coordinated attacks in Plateau’s Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs claimed about 200 lives. In Benue, more than 79 people were killed in herdsmen-related violence between May and December 2024 alone.
The spate of violence has continued despite government interventions such as night grazing bans and calls for increased military presence. Governor Mutfwang recently disclosed that over 64 communities in Plateau have been forcefully occupied by armed groups, labelling the violence as “sponsored” and “genocidal.”
The rising death toll and persistent insecurity have further fueled public outcry, with citizens and political leaders urging the federal government to show greater urgency in protecting lives and restoring peace.
