The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has described the reported mass abduction and killing of residents in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State as an emergency requiring urgent government intervention.
Obi, in a statement on Thursday, said reports of attacks on communities and places of worship should “shake the conscience of every Nigerian” and compel authorities to take immediate action.
“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.
According to Obi, reports suggested that as many as 600 people, mostly women, children and elderly persons, may have been abducted, although he noted that the exact number was still being verified.
He also said reports indicated that about 30 people might have been killed during 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,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor called for intelligence-led security operations to rescue the victims, secure the affected communities and dismantle the networks allegedly facilitating the attacks.
Obi also raised concerns over infrastructure challenges that may have hampered the initial rescue efforts, noting that the police had cited difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge in the area.
“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.
He urged the Federal Government to place the safety of citizens above political considerations, stressing that lives lost to insecurity could not be recovered.
“Elections will come and go, but the lives of Nigerians cannot be recovered once lost,” Obi said.
He expressed solidarity with the Niger State Government, residents and families affected by the attacks and urged security authorities to intensify efforts to rescue those still in captivity.
“We must bring our people home and restore the confidence that government exists to protect them,” he added.
