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Obi Blasts Government Inaction as Nigeria Records Surge in Terrorism

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 19th, 2026.

Former presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has called on the federal government to take immediate and decisive action to tackle Nigeria’s escalating security crisis. The plea comes in response to the latest Global Terrorism Index report, which ranks Nigeria among the most terrorised nations in the world.

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Obi described the report as a “painful indictment of failed leadership,” highlighting the country’s sharp rise in terrorism-related deaths. He stressed that while global trends show a decline in terror activities, Nigeria has been moving in the opposite direction.

“This trend is a direct result of misplaced priorities, weak governance, corruption, lack of rule of law, and the persistent neglect of security, which is the government’s most fundamental duty,” Obi said, according to The Punch.

He detailed the multi-faceted security threats confronting the nation, including Boko Haram insurgency, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacks, rampant kidnappings, and violent banditry in rural communities. Obi lamented that Nigerians continue to die daily while authorities fail to act decisively.

“What is the purpose of government if it cannot protect lives? Why are we normalising tragedy while other nations make progress?” Obi questioned. He urged leaders to reverse the country’s security trajectory, insisting that the current state of insecurity should not be accepted as normal.

Obi further emphasised that every Nigerian has the fundamental right to safety, and protecting lives must be a top government priority. “This is not the Nigeria we should accept. We cannot continue down this path. It is time to move from excuses to action, and from failure to measurable progress,” he added.

The Global Terrorism Index, widely regarded as a leading global measure of terrorism impact, has renewed concerns over Nigeria’s security environment, highlighting the urgent need for practical interventions, according to reports from The Guardian and Daily Times.