“Nigeria’s Darkest Ten Days: Obi Accuses Leaders of Choosing Power Over Lives”

By Passman Akpos

In a searing national reflection released on Sunday, former presidential candidate Peter Obi issued one of his strongest public condemnations of Nigeria’s spiralling insecurity and institutional decay, declaring that the past ten days have exposed a level of chaos that “should trouble the conscience of all leaders.”

Obi questioned whether Nigeria’s escalating crises were a matter of fate or the result of failed leadership, asking pointedly: “Are we cursed, or are we the curse?”

According to Obi, the past ten days presented a grim catalogue of tragedies across the country—each one a stark reminder of a nation “drifting amid a clear absence of competent, compassionate, responsive, and responsible leadership.”

A HARROWING 10-DAY TIMELINE OF VIOLENCE

Obi outlined a chronology of incidents that he described as “unprecedented and deeply troubling”:

1. 11 Nov 2025: Six senior directors of the Ministry of Defence were kidnapped along the Kogi axis — an incident he said shows even top defence officials are unsafe.

2. 15 Nov: A Brigadier General was brutally executed, escalating fears for both civilians and security operatives.

3. 16 Nov: Sixty-four civilians, including women and children, were abducted in Zamfara, with multiple casualties.

4. 17 Nov: Twenty-five schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi State, and their vice principal murdered.

5. 18 Nov: Terrorists attacked a church in Kwara State during service, killing worshippers and abducting 38.

6. 18 Nov: A crisis at the PDP Wadata Plaza headquarters was allegedly worsened by “complicit elements” in security agencies.

7. 18 Nov: Judges were seen singing the APC partisan anthem ahead of the President’s speech at the All Nigeria Judges’ Conference — an event Obi called “erosive to public trust.”

8. 19 Nov: Soldiers dispatched to rescue Kebbi schoolgirls were ambushed.

9. 21 Nov: Over 300 students and 12 teachers were abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State.

10. 22 Nov: Bandits opened fire on farmers in Kaduna, killing one.

11. 23 Nov: Five police officers were killed and two injured in an ambush in Bauchi State.

12. 23 Nov: Thirteen female farmers were abducted in Borno by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP militants — a report Obi said he received “as I was speaking.

“NIGERIA IS BLEEDING BECAUSE LEADERS HAVE CHOSEN COMFORT OVER COURAGE” — OBI

Obi condemned what he described as “indifference” and “absentee leadership,” stating that no nation can survive when leaders trivialize human life.

> “Nigeria is bleeding because those elected to protect the nation have chosen comfort over courage, politics over people, and power over purpose.”

He noted that insecurity, lawlessness, and institutional decay have now become daily occurrences, not accidents of fate but symptoms of leadership failure.

A CALL FOR COMPETENCE, COMPASSION, AND RESPONSIBILITY

Obi insisted that the country’s problems are solvable — if leadership is willing to prioritize citizens over politics.

> “Governance is not a title; it is a duty to protect every child, every community, and every citizen.”

He urged leaders to recommit to rebuilding trust, reforming security structures, and ensuring swift responses to crises.

“NIGERIA MUST RISE AGAIN”

Obi ended with a message of solidarity to citizens rattled by the wave of attacks.

> “To every Nigerian shaken in these past 10 days, my heart is with you. You deserve safety. You deserve peace. We deserve a government that values our lives above politics. A New Nigeria is possible.”

His remarks have sparked widespread debate online, with many Nigerians echoing his concerns and others questioning the government’s silence in the face of rising insecurity.

As the country absorbs yet another string of tragedies, the question Obi posed continues to reverberate:Is Nigeria cursed — or is the crisis the result of leadership that refuses to act?