Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to declare a national war on insecurity, warning that no nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege.

Obi made the appeal in a post on his X handle on Monday, reacting to reports that more than 100 people were killed in violent attacks across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo States over the weekend.

He highlighted the killing of eight officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, and the kidnapping of passengers along the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road as clear signs of a worsening security crisis.

“The slaughter of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies; these are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor extended condolences to families of the victims and praised the bravery of security operatives who lost their lives in the attacks.

“My deepest condolences go to the families of our fallen heroes. Their courage reminds us that we still have men and women willing to risk everything for our safety. Their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice. Their sacrifices must never be forgotten,” he added.

Obi warned that the scale of violence had reached war-like proportions.

“When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war,” he noted.

He urged the government to mobilise all national resources, agencies, and state authorities to reclaim the country from lawlessness.

“No nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege. History shows that insecurity is the quickest path to national collapse Somalia and Libya stand as painful warnings. We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and productive nation for all,” Obi declared.