Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has finally spoken out regarding the sit-at-home directives, News About Nigeria reports.
He described the ongoing situation in the South East as a criminal activity that requires immediate action. Obi stressed the importance of collaboration between security agencies and the people of the region to effectively address this issue.
According to News About Nigeria, there have been calls for influential figures from the South East to condemn the sit-at-home order. Obi took to his Twitter account on Thursday to release a statement addressing the issue.
As the former Governor of Anambra State, Obi expressed his appreciation for the renewed efforts of the South East Governors in tackling insecurity within the state.
However, he emphasized the need for a more strategic and intelligence-driven approach to alleviating the suffering of innocent individuals.
Drawing attention to the escalating insecurity in the North Central zone, particularly in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, as well as criminal activities in the South East, Obi called for urgent attention to these alarming issues.
Obi stated, “The rising insecurity in the country, leading to mindless bloodshed, particularly in the North Central zone, and the continued disruption of business and social activities in the South East are all becoming very worrisome.”
He highlighted the violent attacks in the North Central states of Benue and Plateau, which have recently taken a new twist with high records of kidnapping, arson, and loss of human lives. According to the 1st Quarter Mass Atrocities Casualty Tracking Report, over 1,230 Nigerians were killed, including 79 security operatives, with over 600 abductions in the first quarter of this year alone.
Obi expressed his concern about the loss of innocent lives in Nigeria due to communal clashes, banditry, and kidnapping activities, describing it as unacceptable.
He specifically mentioned the situation in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where lives and properties have been lost with minimal resistance from security forces.
He also expressed his distress over the continued disruption of business and social activities in the South East region, resulting from the sit-at-home order attributed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), despite the body denying issuing such a directive publicly.
Obi emphasized that the situation in the South East is essentially a criminal activity that must be addressed with the collective efforts of security agencies and the people.
He commended the South East Governors for their renewed efforts in curbing this menace but stressed the need for a more strategic and intelligence-driven approach.
Calling for immediate action to arrest these disturbing incidents, Obi stated, “The country cannot continue to spill the blood of innocent citizens. We, as a people, through our various governments, should value human lives in the way we respond to issues that affect lives.”
He further highlighted the far-reaching implications of an insecure environment on development, as it deters investors from considering areas where their resources may be unsafe.
Obi urged critical stakeholders in the affected regions, including traditional, Christian, and Muslim leaders, to continue promoting peace among their people through their conduct.
He also called on governments at all levels to take deliberate steps to address the issues of poverty and youth unemployment, as providing for the people’s basic needs is key to tackling insecurity.
The recent sit-at-home protest in the South East region was announced by Simon Ekpa, the factional leader of IPOB, on Tuesday. Ekpa declared a two-week sit-at-home protest scheduled from July 31, 2023, to August 14, 2023.
Ekpa urged market leaders to strictly comply with the sit-at-home order and treat it with the utmost seriousness. He also called upon oil companies operating in the Biafran territory to halt oil exploration during those dates to avoid potential backlash from the Biafran people.
This came shortly after a closed-door meeting of South East political leaders held in Abuja, aiming to address the security challenges in the region.
