Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his France trip and urgently return to Nigeria to address the deteriorating security situation, particularly in Plateau and Benue states.
In a post shared via his official X handle on Wednesday, the 63-year-old criticised the President’s absence amid worsening violence and insecurity across the country.
“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.”
The former Anambra State governor lamented that over 150 Nigerians have been killed in the past two weeks, citing renewed attacks in Plateau and Zamfara States, while pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta further highlighted the country’s dire state.
“In the two weeks you have been away, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity across Nigeria, especially in Plateau and Zamfara states,” he said.
“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.”
Obi described the nation as being in distress and likened the President to a retreating CEO far from the headquarters of his failing company. He urged the President to take swift and decisive action.
“Amid all these, 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,” he noted.
Obi had earlier visited victims and families affected by recent attacks in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. He condemned the violence, describing the killings as “senseless” and unacceptable in a nation not officially at war.
READ ALSO: [UPDATED:] Suspected Herdsmen Attack Benue Community, Kill Seven
Tinubu’s Earlier Reaction
In a Monday statement signed by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the recent bloodshed in Plateau State, where over 40 people were killed.
The President urged Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to summon the political will to restore peace and order.
He called for unity among religious and ethnic communities and appealed to leaders to work together to end the cycle of violence.
“Love and unity must transcend ethnic and religious divides,” Tinubu said, as he encouraged collaboration among community, spiritual, and political leaders.
Plateau Governor’s Apology
On Tuesday, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, visited the Zikke community in Bassa Local Government Area, where 51 people were killed in a brutal attack on Monday.
Speaking at the palace of the Paramount Ruler in Miango, the governor apologised to residents for the government’s inability 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,” Mutfwang said. “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.”
Mutfwang, accompanied by security chiefs and members of the State Executive Council, also visited bereaved families. The victims have since been buried, while the community continues to demand concrete government action.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, visited Plateau State on Tuesday in the aftermath of the killings. He condemned the attacks and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“These heinous killings of innocent citizens cannot go unanswered. We will deploy all available resources to restore peace and hold those responsible accountable,” the IGP said.
READ ALSO: IGP Visits Plateau, Vows To Bring Perpetrators To Book
Mounting Casualties, Deepening Crisis
Shortly after the Plateau Governor lamented the crisis in Plateau, suspected herdsmen launched a fresh attack on Otobi community in the Akpa district of Otukpo Local Government Area in Benue State, killing seven people and injuring several others. Numerous homes were also set ablaze.
Channels Television reports that a resident, Edwin Emma, raised the alarm: “We are being attacked by herdsmen in Otobi. My wife and children are fleeing the community as I speak. Please call for help.”
This marks the second attack in April on the Otobi community, which hosts the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Water Dam.
The crisis in both Plateau and Benue states has continued to escalate. In December 2023 alone, coordinated attacks in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs claimed around 200 lives, while over 500 people were injured.
In Benue, more than 79 people were killed in herdsmen-related violence between May and December 2024. In August 2024, suspected bandits killed 30 people in Ayati village, and 20 medical students were kidnapped—later released—while travelling through the state.
