The ex-governor of Anambra State urged federal and state governments to prioritise security of lives and properties in the country.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, said the discovery of dead bodies in Abia State showed the level insecurity in Nigeria.
“It unearths how insecurity has continued to ravage many parts of the country, taking innocent lives and killing the economy, “Obi said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), on Thursday.
The Abia State Government had discovered over 50 decomposing bodies, over 20 headless bodies and countless human skeletons all around Lokpanta Cattle Market in the Umunneochi Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Alex Otti had revealed the grim findings during his monthly media chat at Government House, Umuahia, on Monday.
In his reaction, Obi said, “This level of barbarism and extremely cruel acts only reflects how insecure our environment has been.”
The ex-governor of Anambra State said the finding further underscored the alarming level of insecurity within the country. He praised the governor for taking a bold stance against the prevailing insecurity issues in the state.
“I recall facing a similar situation in 2013 as the governor of Anambra State. I was accompanying (former) President Goodluck Jonathan to an official engagement outside the country when I received the sad report of about 35 decomposing bodies floating on Ezu River, Anambra,” he said.
“I had to leave everything to rush back to the state to attend to the situation and ensure that order was restored in the vicinity. Investigation was immediately commenced, with autopsies conducted, before the Federal Government took over the process and asked the State Government to hands off.”
Obi stressed that the paramount responsibility of any government is to ensure the security of its citizens, noting that this is an essential foundation for mea
ningful development.
