Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has said that a safe and secure Benue state is possible.
Reacting to the recent killing of over 100 people in an attack in the Yelewate community of the state, Obi said the horrific killing of women, children and even security officials is heart-wrenching.
In a post made in X on Sunday, Obi said the killings have become too common in people’s lives and the situation in Benue requires immediate action.
He wrote, “Over 200 lives have reportedly been extinguished in a single onslaught, homes burnt, families shattered, communities left in ruin.
“This is not merely violence. It is a failure of leadership, a stain on our collective conscience. Every life lost is a Nigerian life, each one precious, each one irreplaceable,” Obi stated.
He also wanted that it would be wrong to accept the normalisation of mass killings as that is intolerable considering the fact that the government’s primary responsibility is to protect the lives and properties of citizens.
“When it (government) repeatedly fails, we must ask: What kind of nation are we bequeathing to our children?” OBI queried.
Also commiserating with the families of those affected, the former Anambra state governor said the survival of Nigerians in any part of the country is non-negotiable.
“To the people of Benue, I say: your pain is our pain. The blood of your loved ones cries out for justice. The survival of our people must not be negotiable; it must be urgent, deliberate, and comprehensive action.
“To all relevant authorities, I say that the time has come to move beyond symbolic gestures to decisive deployment. Let your actions speak louder than visits or statements. The time has come for the government to prove their commitment to protecting citizens, which is the primary duty of any government.
“A safe, secure Benue is not too much to ask, it is our moral duty, our national duty. This is not the Nigeria we deserve, nor the Nigeria we aspire to. We must end this bloodshed. We must reclaim our humanity,” Obi stated.