Peter Obi Condemns Benue and Plateau Killings, Warns Nation Cannot Prosper Amid Bloodshed
Presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned the recent wave of killings in Benue and Plateau states, emphasizing that Nigeria cannot prosper while innocent blood continues to be shed.
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In a strong statement issued on July 13, 2026, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), condemned the recent spate of killings in Benue and Plateau states, describing the violence as a national tragedy that undermines Nigeria’s development. Speaking out against the ongoing bloodshed, Obi stressed that the country cannot move forward while innocent lives are lost with regularity.
“For years, families in Benue, Plateau and other communities across Nigeria have lived under the constant shadow of fear, violence and displacement. Mothers have buried their children, children have become orphans overnight, farmers have abandoned their lands, and entire communities have been left devastated. We cannot continue to accept this tragic cycle as though it were normal. It is not,” Obi said, according to Vanguard News.
His remarks, reported by both Naija News and Vanguard News on the same day, underscore growing concern over persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, where communal and ethnic violence has led to repeated loss of life and displacement. While Obi did not assign blame to any specific group or government entity, his statement framed the killings as a moral and national crisis.
“The nation cannot prosper while innocent blood flows,” Obi declared, echoing a sentiment increasingly voiced by civil society and religious leaders. His comments come amid renewed public anxiety over the government’s ability to protect citizens and maintain law and order in conflict-prone areas.