Insecurity must not become Nigeria’s new normal — Obi

ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has called for the immediate and safe rescue of about 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, reportedly abducted while travelling to their orientation camp.

Obi, in a post on his official social media page on Sunday, described the reported abduction as another indication of what he called worsening insecurity in the country, warning that Nigerians should not accept insecurity as a normal part of everyday life.

The former Anambra State governor said the victims were young Nigerians travelling to serve their country but were unable to complete their journey safely because of insecurity on the nation’s roads.

He said the incident had also heightened anxiety among families whose loved ones travel across the country for work, education and national assignments.

“The abduction of approximately 20 prospective NYSC members travelling to their orientation camp is yet another distressing indication of the worsening insecurity in our country.

“These young Nigerians were preparing to serve their nation, but they were unable to travel safely on our roads. Families are increasingly burdened by the fear that their loved ones could fall victim to kidnapping,” Obi said.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, said protecting lives and property remained a primary responsibility of government.

He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to prevent attacks and respond promptly to threats rather than waiting until lives had been disrupted.

“Protecting lives and property is the government’s foremost responsibility. We cannot continue to regard insecurity as an ordinary occurrence or act only after people’s lives have been disrupted,” he said.

Obi called on security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and rescue the abducted prospective corps members and apprehend those responsible for the attack.

“I call for the immediate and safe rescue of all the abducted corps members and the arrest of those responsible. Nigeria must become a country where young people can travel, work, and serve their nation without fear,” he said.

The reported abduction has renewed concerns over the safety of travellers on Nigerian highways, particularly young Nigerians travelling to unfamiliar locations for national assignments.

The NYSC, established in 1973, was designed, among other objectives, to promote national integration by deploying graduates to states outside their states of origin for one year of national service.

However, recurring reports of kidnappings and attacks on major highways have continued to raise concerns about the safety of corps members and other travellers across the country.