The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has decried the spate of killings and kidnappings in several parts of the nation, calling on the Federal Government to nip insecurity in the bud.
Briefing journalists in Onitsha on Saturday, the former governor of Anambra State warned that if nothing was done to address the nation’s security challenges, Nigeria might slide into a failed nation.
He also bemoaned the agitations in the South-East, asking leaders to double their efforts in tackling the situation.
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“The first primary work of government is the security of lives and property. It is the foundation which people can live in any nation because no one can stay in an insecure place,” he said.
“It is worrisome what is happening in Nigeria with the news of killings, abductions, and other vices that have made Nigeria one of the most insecure places on the earth. In fact, it is leading to a failed nation.
“I commend the government for their efforts so far, but there is a need to do more, and all leaders must come together to join hands and fight this. In the South-east, there is a need for the governors to come together to be able to tackle it.
“Even in economic agenda, I want to see the South-east governors work more closely. We want to see them come together and also bring together other groups in the zone.”
Release Nnamdi Kanu
During the interview, the LP presidential candidate called on the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
He argued that there was no reason for the continuous detention of the IPOB leader given that a Nigerian court earlier acquitted him, although that acquittal was overturned by the Supreme Court.
“I don’t see any reason for his continuous detention, especially as the courts have granted him bail. The government must obey the court.
“The rule of law is an intricate asset that we must cherish and live with. I use this opportunity to plead with the federal government to ensure that all those who are in similar conditions are released and discussed,’’ he said.
“We are in a democracy, and we should not be doing things that are arbitrary and not within the law.”
Background
In 2015, the embattled IPOB leader was first arrested in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled on October 13, 2022 that Kanu was extraordinarily renditioned to Nigeria and that the action was a violation of the country’s extradition treaty and also a breach of his fundamental human rights.
The court, therefore, struck out the terrorism charges filed against Mr Kanu by the Nigerian government and ordered his release from the facility of the SSS.
But the government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that Kanu could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released, and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from.
However, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Kanu by the Appeal court. On December 15, the apex court consequently ordered continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.
