Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to take decisive action against those behind the killings and kidnappings across the country, saying the attackers are known and should be stopped.
Obi made the call on Tuesday during a visit to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where he sympathised with thousands of people forced to flee their communities due to insecurity.
He said prayers were important in addressing the country’s security challenges but insisted that government action was necessary to end the violence.
“I listen to somebody who says we need prayers. Yes, we need prayers. But the prayers can be solved by government. The people who are coming to kill people are not from the moon. We know them. The Nigerian government should be able to deal with it,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor described the continued existence of IDP camps as unacceptable, saying displaced persons should be assisted to return safely to their homes.
He said Nigeria could not truly be at peace while citizens remained in IDP camps, stressing that displaced persons should not be living there but should be able to return safely to their homes.
Obi expressed concern over the scale of displacement in Plateau, noting that about 45,000 people from more than 20 communities had been forced out of their homes.
He explained that his visit was not a campaign activity but a show of solidarity with victims of insecurity.
“I came here today, not to campaign. I came to assure you that you are in our mind, we are thinking about you, and we are hoping that one day none of you will be here because you have gone back to your home,” he said.
Obi also lamented the effect of insecurity on children’s education.
According to him, the destruction of communities had disrupted learning for many young people.
He praised the resilience of the displaced persons after seeing them sing and dance despite their hardships and assured them that they were not alone.