Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned the reported killings of abducted Nigerians in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, warning against treating kidnapping, ransom demands and criminal levies as normal features of life in Nigeria.
Obi, in a statement titled “Borgu: We Must Never Normalise the Killing of Nigerians,” said his concerns over the security situation had deepened following reports that some of the approximately 600 people abducted in the area remained missing while others had reportedly been killed.
He recalled that on August 27, he had described the reported abduction as “one case too many” and called for urgent action.
According to Obi, another disturbing incident involved a bandit group that reportedly beheaded a Nigerian and sent the severed head to a community leader over a ₦50 million levy.
“If the reported killing was intended to increase pressure on the community and extract more money for those still being held, then we must recognise the terrible reality before us: human life is being deliberately turned into a bargaining instrument,” he said.
He added: “One person is killed to terrorise an entire community, while others are kept alive as hostages for more ransom. This is not merely criminality; it is the systematic devaluation of human life.”
The NDC candidate said the victims should not be reduced to statistics, describing them as “mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters and elderly people.”
“Their only offence was to live in communities where the protection of the state has become increasingly inadequate,” Obi said.
He questioned how long Nigerians would continue to accept mass abductions, killings, community levies, displacement and ransom payments as unavoidable.
“At what point do we, as a nation, decide that this is no longer acceptable?” he asked.
Obi said insecurity was also affecting agriculture, businesses, education and public confidence in government, arguing that Nigeria needed to move from reacting after attacks to preventing them.
He called for intelligence-led operations, stronger community security, rapid response, improved coordination and equipment for security forces, effective border protection and sustained action against criminal networks.
“The primary responsibility of government is the security and welfare of its citizens,” he said, adding that while politicians prepare for elections, Nigerians are asking for “something more fundamental: the right to live.”
Obi concluded: “Our prayers must be matched with action. No criminal group should determine who lives or dies anywhere in Nigeria. Nigeria must restore security, justice, and the dignity of human life.”
