Plateau Killings: Obi Urges Tinubu to Cut Short France Trip, Address Insecurity

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend his France trip and return to Nigeria to address the country’s worsening security situation.

Obi expressed concern over the rising violence, particularly in Plateau and Benue states, where over 150 people have lost their lives in the past two weeks.

In a post shared via his official X handle on Wednesday, Obi wrote, “Mr. President, domestic problems beckon”.

“I am compelled…to call on our retreating President’s attention to the security challenges at home, which entail that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.”

Obi likened the President to a CEO retreating while their company fails, emphasizing that swift and decisive action is needed. “Amid all these, the CEO of the troubled company called Nigeria, is retreating in a faraway land in France, detached from the company’s headquarters,” he noted.

The former Anambra State governor had earlier visited victims of recent attacks in Plateau State’s Bokkos Local Government Area, condemning the violence as “senseless” and unacceptable.

In response to the crisis, President Tinubu expressed sorrow over the bloodshed and urged Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to restore peace and order. “Love and unity must transcend ethnic and religious divides,” Tinubu said.

Following this, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang apologized to residents for the government’s inability to protect them, admitting that security arrangements had failed. The Inspector General of Police vowed to bring perpetrators to justice, deploying resources to restore peace.

Fresh attacks have also been reported in Benue State, with suspected herdsmen killing seven people and injuring several others.