Peter Obi Calls for an Independent Investigation into Terrorists’ Claims of Government Arms Supply

Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has urgently called for a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation into allegations made by arrested terrorists who claimed that government officials supplied them with arms and ammunition. Obi made this demand in a statement posted on his verified X account on Sunday.

He expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria despite the government’s collection of trillions of naira and billions of dollars purportedly for security purposes. Obi referenced a recent video from Kwara State where suspected terrorists confessed that government officials provided them with ammunition and logistical support.

Obi cited the late General Sani Abacha’s famous assertion that any insurgency lasting more than 24 hours implies government involvement. He also quoted former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who lamented that Nigeria once had the capability to track and apprehend criminals nationwide but is no longer effectively doing so despite advanced technology like drones.

Highlighting that the government controls telecommunications, intelligence, and financial tracking systems, Obi questioned why kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism continue to flourish, raising serious concerns about those in power.

He recalled that between 2010 and 2015, under President Jonathan, Nigeria developed one of its most advanced police communication and tracking infrastructures designed to monitor and respond rapidly to criminal activities, especially terrorism. Obi questioned the whereabouts and usage of this equipment and why terrorists’ confessions frequently implicate government officials.

Obi also criticized the government’s response to the St. Mary’s Catholic School , where about 100 children were recently released and celebrated, yet no terrorists were arrested, no punishments announced, and no updates provided on the remaining abducted children and teachers.

He demanded answers on why existing equipment has not been deployed to track terrorists and rescue the remaining captives.

Obi concluded that the ongoing insecurity either points to government complicity or leadership failure, both unacceptable to any society. He emphasized that a government prioritizing human life would not tolerate insecurity but would actively eliminate it.

He called for leaders with competence, transparency, and capacity to end Nigeria’s insecurity once and for all, stressing that the protection of life and property is the foremost responsibility of any government.