Obi condemns soldiers’ killing in Abia, demands justice

Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) has strongly condemned the killing of five Nigerian soldiers by gunmen during the enforcement of a sit-at-home order by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Aba, Abia State.

The Guardian reports that the soldiers were part of the troops of Operation UDO KA deployed at Obikabia Junction Checkpoint in Obingwa Local Government Area, adjourning Aba metropolis in Abia.

The military had, in reaction to the brutal killing on Friday, vowed to bring overwhelming military pressure on the IPOB and its military arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

And Obi, in a statement issued on Friday, expressed his condemnation of the atrocity and called for an immediate and thorough investigation to identify and punish the perpetrators.

The former Anambra governor denounced the ongoing bloodshed and violence in the country, labelling it as a failure of the Nigerian state.

Mr. Obi urged Nigerian authorities to take prompt action to address the rising insecurity, stressing that the nation cannot afford to remain passive while violence and fear tear it apart.

“We must not stand idly by while our nation is torn apart by violence and fear. Our failure as a nation to protect our citizens and security personnel is a clear dereliction of duty and a sign of deficiency of the Nigerian state.

“The continued brutality and bloodshed in our nation must be met with swift and decisive action, not empty words and hollow promises,” Mr Obi said.

The surge in killings and kidnappings has coincided with the abduction of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya, his subsequent repatriation to Nigeria, and detention by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Kanu has been held since 2021, facing treason charges.