Obi condemns abduction of JAMB candidates in Benue, demands urgent security response

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the recent abduction of candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Benue State.

In a post on his verified X handle on Friday, Obi described the incident as heartbreaking and warned that continued insecurity poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s future.

He noted that the attack on students preparing for examinations reflected a failure of leadership and worsening insecurity across the country.

Obi also criticised what he described as misplaced priorities by those responsible for national security, insisting that more effort should be directed toward protecting citizens rather than politics.

“A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future. Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with political considerations rather than deploying that same power and agencies to secure our roads, prevent these crimes, and rescue the abducted children who should not be in the hands of criminals but in examination halls,” he said.

He added that the abductions have become a growing pattern of insecurity in the country, describing it as a national emergency that requires urgent and decisive intervention.