Peter Obi calls for an end to killings in Benue and Plateau

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has spoken out against the recent violence in Benue and Plateau states. He said Nigeria can no longer accept what he calls a “relentless cycle of bloodshed.”

Obi’s comments came after new attacks in the Po Local Government Area of Benue State and the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. These incidents left many people dead.

“The tragic news of yet another round of killings in Benue and Plateau States is both painful and deeply disturbing,” Obi said in a statement on Monday.

He continued, “The reported murder of at least sixteen innocent Nigerians in the Otukpo-Nobi community of Benue State, alongside the horrific killing of nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, once again reminds us that the relentless cycle of bloodshed in parts of our country has persisted for far too long.”

Obi pointed out that communities in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of Nigeria have suffered years of violence, fear, and displacement.

“For years, families in Benue, Plateau, and other communities across Nigeria have lived under the constant shadow of fear, violence, and displacement,” he said. “Mothers have buried their children, children have become orphans overnight, farmers have abandoned their lands, and entire communities have been left devastated. We cannot continue to accept this tragic cycle as though it were normal. It is not.”

Obi emphasized that the government’s main job is to protect lives and property.

“The primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property. Every Nigerian life is sacred, and every life lost is one too many. These are not mere statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, breadwinners, and future leaders whose dreams have been violently cut short,” he said.

He called on the government to go beyond just condemning attacks and to improve the country’s security measures.

“The time has come to move beyond routine condemnations after every attack. Nigerians deserve a security architecture that is proactive rather than reactive, driven by intelligence, rapid response, and accountability. Those responsible for these atrocities must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. The culture of impunity must end,” he said.

Obi also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and the governments of Benue and Plateau states.

“This is not about politics. It is about humanity. We must summon the collective will to secure our nation and restore hope to our people. No country can develop when its citizens live in fear, and no society can prosper when innocent blood continues to flow unchecked,” he added.