Peter Obi Warns Against Normalizing Abductions and Ransom Demands

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has cautioned Nigerians against accepting abductions and ransom payments as routine occurrences, following fresh reports of attacks in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

In a statement posted on his X account, Obi condemned the killings of abducted victims and the continued disappearance of many others.

He recalled his earlier concern on August 27, when reports emerged that about 600 Nigerians, including women, children, and the elderly had been abducted, with some killed.

Obi also referenced a chilling incident in which a bandit group allegedly beheaded a victim 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 stressed that Nigerians must not resign themselves to mass abductions, ransom payments, criminal levies, and displacement as unavoidable features of national life.

“We must therefore ask ourselves a fundamental question: At what point do we, as a nation, decide that this is no longer acceptable?” Obi asked.

The NDC candidate called for intelligence-driven operations, stronger coordination among security agencies, improved 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 emphasized, adding that while politicians prepare for elections, Nigerians are demanding something more basic, the right to live safely.

“Our prayers must be matched with action. No criminal group should determine who lives or dies anywhere in Nigeria,” Obi concluded.