NationalObi Demands Probe As Bandits Claim Govt Supplied Arms
By Benjamin Abioye
Published 10 hours ago on December 14, 2025By Benjamin Abioye
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has reacted to a viral video showing suspected bandits arrested by soldiers of the Nigerian Army in Kwara State.
In the video, the arrested suspects claimed during interrogation that their weapons and a vehicle were supplied to them by government officials. The claims have since generated widespread reactions online.
In a statement issued on Sunday titled Insecurity and the Crisis of Accountability in Nigeria, Obi described the video as disturbing and called for urgent action. He demanded “an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation” into the allegations.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate said insecurity has continued to spread across the country in a more daring manner, despite huge spending on security over the years.
According to him, any government that truly values human life should not tolerate insecurity but must take decisive steps to end it.
His statement read in part: “Yesterday, a disturbing video emerged from Kwara State in which suspected terrorists arrested by security forces claimed that ammunition and logistics were supplied to them by government officials. This allegation, now circulating widely, demands nothing less than an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation.”
He added: “Over the years, trillions of naira and billions of dollars have been continuously collected by the government in the name of security. Yet insecurity has only expanded across the country, and in an increasingly brazen manner.”
Obi also referenced a past statement credited to late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, to underline his concerns.
“This type of news fallout goes to give credence to the much-referenced quotation of late military leader General Sani Abacha that ‘Any insurgency that lasts more than 24 hours, the government is involved,’” he said.
He further cited former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had questioned why terrorists are still being negotiated with despite advancements in technology.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo reinforced this point even more directly when he said: ‘Before I left office, Nigeria could identify and locate anyone who committed any crime anywhere in the country. Today, with technology such as drones and improved tracking tools, we can easily locate and remove them. But we are not doing that. Why are we negotiating with terrorists?’”
Obi said the government has control over telecommunications, intelligence systems and financial tracking, yet crimes like kidnapping, banditry and terrorism continue.
“The government controls telecommunications, intelligence systems, and even financial trails, yet kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism continue to thrive. This reality raises serious questions for those in power,” he stated.
He recalled that between 2010 and 2015, Nigeria invested heavily in advanced security and communication systems designed to track criminal movements and respond quickly to threats.
“Between 2010 and 2015, under President Jonathan, Nigeria built one of the most advanced police communication and tracking infrastructures in its history,” he said.
Obi questioned why those tools are no longer being effectively used and why confessions by terrorists often point to government officials.
“We must therefore begin to ask: Where are these pieces of equipment, and why are they not being used? Why do terrorists’ confessions so often implicate government officials?” he asked.
He also referred to recent school abductions, noting that while some victims were released and celebrated, many others remain in captivity without clear updates.
“In cases such as the St. Mary’s Catholic School attack, about 100 children were released just days ago, and government officials celebrated. Yet no terrorist was arrested, no punishment announced, and, to this day, no clear update has been given on the more than 200 children and teachers still in captivity,” he said.
Obi questioned why available technology has not been used to track the abductors and rescue the remaining victims.
“Why have we not deployed the equipment already at our disposal to trace these terrorists and rescue the remaining abducted schoolchildren?” he asked.
He warned that persistent insecurity points either to complicity or weak leadership, both of which he said are unacceptable.
“When insecurity persists on this scale, day after day, it points either to complicity or to a failure of leadership. No society should accept either,” Obi said.
He concluded by stressing the core responsibility of government.
“A government that truly makes human life a priority does not pamper insecurity; it eliminates it. The foremost responsibility of any government is the protection of life and property. Nigeria needs leaders of competence, transparency, and capacity – leaders who will end this insecurity once and for all.”
