Peter Obi Demands Probe as Terrorists’ Claims of Official Backing in Kwara Spark Fresh Outcry over Nigeria’s Insecurity

Mr. Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate, has called for an urgent, transparent and independent investigation following the circulation of a disturbing video from Kwara State, in which suspected terrorists arrested by security forces allegedly claimed they received ammunition and logistics support from government officials.

In a statement on Sunday, Obi described the allegation as deeply troubling and said it reinforced long-standing concerns about accountability and complicity in Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

“Over the years, trillions of naira and billions of dollars have been continuously collected by the government in the name of security. Yet insecurity has only expanded across the country, and in an increasingly brazen manner,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor noted that such revelations lend weight to a frequently cited remark by late military ruler General Sani Abacha, who once said that “any insurgency that lasts more than 24 hours, the government is involved.”

Obi also referenced comments by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had questioned the government’s handling of terrorism despite advances in surveillance technology.

“Before I left office, Nigeria could identify and locate anyone who committed any crime anywhere in the country,” Obasanjo had said. “Today, with technology such as drones and improved tracking tools, we can easily locate and remove them. But we are not doing that. Why are we negotiating with terrorists?”

According to Obi, the continued rise in kidnapping, banditry and terrorism raises serious questions, especially given that the government controls telecommunications infrastructure, intelligence systems and financial tracking mechanisms.

He recalled that between 2010 and 2015, under former President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria invested heavily in advanced police communication and tracking systems designed to monitor criminal movements and support rapid response operations.

“We must therefore begin to ask: where are these pieces of equipment, and why are they not being used?” Obi asked. “Why do terrorists’ confessions so often implicate government officials?”

Obi further criticised the handling of recent mass abductions, citing the case of St. Mary’s Catholic School, where about 100 abducted children were released days ago. While government officials celebrated the development, he said no arrests were announced and no clarity provided on the fate of more than 200 children and teachers still believed to be in captivity.

The former presidential candidate warned that the persistence of insecurity across the country points either to official complicity or a failure of leadership, insisting that neither should be acceptable in any society.

“A government that truly makes human life a priority does not pamper insecurity; it eliminates it,” Obi said. “The foremost responsibility of any government is the protection of life and property.”

He called for leadership defined by competence, transparency and capacity, stressing that Nigeria urgently needs leaders willing and able to decisively confront and end the country’s security crisis.