Borno massacre: Nigerians must rise to confront insecurity – Atiku, Obi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the fresh Boko Haram attacks in Borno State, calling for a concerted effort to confront the menace of insecurity across the country.

No fewer than 63 people were killed Friday night in Darul Jamal community, Bama Local Government Area of the state. Five soldiers and 58 civilians were reportedly killed in the attack by Boko Haram insurgents. Among the civilians were labourers, drivers, and returnees living in the community.

According to the source, during the assault, the insurgents launched three successive offensives before eventually dislodging troops from the military base.

“They carted away two gun trucks and three motorcycles belonging to the Civilian JTF, and burnt down the signal centre, CCTV cameras, and radio communication facilities,” he said.

Atiku said, “This senseless violence is a painful reminder of the heavy price our people continue to pay in the face of terror”.

He said the sacrifices of soldiers and civilians must inspire stronger community security, deeper collaboration, and unwavering commitment to peace.

Atiku, in the condolence message posted on his social media pages, said as a nation, “we must rise to confront this menace with unity and renewed resolve.”

Also, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has described as ‘frightening’ the recent killings in Borno, Edo, Sokoto and Katsina states.

Obi expressed the feeling in a tweet on his official X handle on Sunday.

In a tweet, Obi lamented that the incidents were “stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.”

He decried that with over 100 Nigerians killed within a week, the casualty figures rivaled those of countries that are officially at war.

He said, “When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war. This is no longer business as usual. It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness.”