LAGOS, Nigeria – Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate Peter Obi called for urgent government action to halt a wave of killings, abductions, and community destruction across the country on Sunday, August 23, 2026.
In a statement posted on X, Okay News reports that Obi identified recent deadly attacks in Benue, Plateau, and Niger states as an ongoing national security crisis.
He cited an attack in Jwak Maitumbi, a community in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where officials reported at least 23 people killed, while residents placed the death toll at more than 30, with over 45 houses reportedly destroyed. Obi also referenced attacks in Borgu, Niger State, noting reports indicating more than 40 people were killed and over 100 others abducted.
“What is happening in Benue, Plateau and Niger is similar to what is happening elsewhere in the country, with some attacks even going unreported,” Obi said. “Nigeria is not officially at war, yet citizens are being attacked in their villages, abducted after prayers, driven from their homes and stripped of their farms,” he said.
He requested that the Federal Government of Nigeria, state governments, and local authorities improve intelligence gathering, implement rapid response capabilities, rescue abducted citizens, and apprehend those responsible for the violence. “I urge governments at all levels to wake up to their responsibility and take urgent and decisive action to end this madness once and for all,” Obi said.
Obi requested a shift toward preventative security measures, adding that protecting lives is the fundamental duty of the state. “We cannot keep counting bodies after every attack. We must prevent these attacks before they happen,” he said. “Protecting lives and property is the most basic duty of government. Nigerians deserve nothing less,” he said, concluding his public statement with the declaration, “Nigeria must not become a killing field.”
