The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised fresh alarm over the wave of deadly attacks reported across Benue, Plateau and Niger states, declaring that Nigeria must not be allowed to descend into a “killing field.”
Obi, in a statement on Sunday, condemned the attacks, which have reportedly claimed dozens of lives, left many others abducted and forced families from their homes across the three North-Central states.
The former Anambra State governor said the recurring violence had become too serious to be dismissed as isolated incidents, warning that the country was facing a broader security crisis that required urgent and coordinated action.
Among the incidents cited by Obi was the recent attack on Jwak Maitumbi in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where at least 23 people were officially confirmed dead, although residents reportedly placed the casualty figure at more than 30.
More than 45 houses were also said to have been destroyed during the attack, leaving families to count their losses.
Obi also drew attention to the situation in Borgu, Niger State, where more than 40 people were reportedly killed and over 100 others abducted, though he acknowledged that the figures remained contested.
According to him, communities in Benue State have also continued to face repeated attacks, kidnappings and the destruction of homes and sources of livelihood.
Obi lamented that Nigerians were being killed and displaced despite the country not being officially at war.
“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.
The NDC presidential candidate argued that the government and security agencies must move beyond responding to tragedies after lives have already been lost.
He called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger security coordination and faster response to threats in communities that have become vulnerable to repeated attacks.
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Obi also urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue abducted Nigerians and ensure that those behind the violence are arrested and prosecuted.
“We cannot keep counting bodies after every attack. We must prevent these attacks before they happen,” Obi said.
He stressed that the protection of lives and property remained one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any government, insisting that Nigerians deserved to live, work and farm without the constant fear of violent attacks.
With communities across the North-Central region once again mourning loved ones and rebuilding from destruction, Obi warned that the country could not afford to normalise the repeated loss of lives.
“Nigeria must not become a killing field,” he declared.