Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned the reported mass abduction of Nigerians in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, describing the incident as one case too many and demanding urgent action from the Federal Government.
Obi said he was deeply disturbed by reports of attacks on communities, including Dekara, and the abduction of worshippers during Juma’at prayers.
According to him, as many as 600 people, predominantly women, children and elderly Nigerians, may have been abducted, although the exact figure is still being verified. He added that reports indicated that about 30 people may have been killed in the attacks.
“This is one case too many,” Obi said.
He condemned the fact that Nigerians could be attacked in broad daylight, abducted in large numbers from a place of worship and taken into the forests, saying the development should shake the conscience of every Nigerian and compel immediate government intervention.
Obi also expressed concern that Nigerians were being left vulnerable to attacks while the political class appeared increasingly preoccupied with the 2027 elections.
“Elections will come and go, but the lives of Nigerians cannot be recovered once lost,” he said.
He urged the government to treat the incident as an emergency by deploying overwhelming, intelligence-led security operations to rescue all those in captivity, secure the affected communities and dismantle the networks and enclaves enabling terrorists to operate.
Obi also cited reports that difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge had hampered the initial rescue response, using the situation to renew his call for greater attention to the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.
“I stand with the Niger State Government, the good people of Niger State and the families of those abducted and killed. We must bring our people home and restore the confidence that government exists to protect them,” he said.
