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By Myke Agunwa
Following the brutal killing of about 100 people in Zamfara state, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu to prioritize the security of lives and properties of Nigerians over the construction of roads and bridges.
Recall that about 100 people were reportedly killed on Monday during a violent clash between foot soldiers loyal to notorious bandit Bello Turji and members of the Zamfara Civilian Protection Guard near Cida village in Shinkafi Local Government Area.
The former governor of Anambra State lamented that even as the country is not at war, more people are killed every day in Nigeria than in countries that are at war.
In a lamentation message on his official X handle on Wednesday, Obi said that reading about the daily killing of helpless Nigerians is heartbreaking.
“With the brutal killings of over 100 people in Zamfara, including our revered military men, Mr. President, it is time to accept the inevitable truth and act decisively.
“Nigeria is at war. We can no longer afford the dangerous denial. The number of lives lost in Nigeria now mirrors countries at war, and the deaths in our own country even happen more often than in countries at war”.
He said that every soldier slain or civilian killed is a pointer to poor leadership in the country and misplacement of priorities.
“We cannot continue like this. It is time to prioritise the security of lives over infrastructure projects. Governance must now become about saving lives, not cutting ribbons and headlining ceremonies on front pages.
“Every child buried, every soldier slain, every Nigerian abducted, is a loud cry that leadership must hear. The true measure of leadership is not in the number of roads built or bridges commissioned, but in how many lives are preserved, how many families sleep in peace, and how many communities thrive without fear of bandits.
“This is no longer about politics, it is about the survival of Nigerians. The soul of our nation is bleeding, and only true leadership can save our dear country.”
Note that between May and June 2025, the country witnessed a disturbing escalation in killings by suspected herders and unknown gunmen, especially across Benue, Plateau, and Zamfara states.
In Benue, coordinated attacks in Guma, Logo, and Ukum killed over 40 people in May, followed by fresh assaults in June where over 100 people were massacred in Yelwata alone. Earlier attacks in Tyolaha, Aondona, and Naka pushed the state’s death toll beyond 200.
In Plateau, herders struck villages in Mangu and Bokkos in late June, killing at least 14, with prior violence reported in Bassa.
Zamfara has remained tense, with frequent but less-publicized attacks adding to a two-year toll of over 270 deaths.
Across these regions, communities were razed, farmlands destroyed, and hundreds displaced. The killings have sparked national outrage, prompting security crackdowns and presidential directives, yet the violence persists, highlighting deep-rooted ethnic tensions, weak local enforcement, and a dire humanitarian crisis in rural Nigeria.