Nigeria Cannot Live Like This”: Peter Obi Weeped From Spain After Schoolgirls’ Abduction, Zamfara Killings

Nigeria Cannot Live Like This”: Peter Obi Weeped From Spain After  Schoolgirls’ Abduction, Zamfara Killings 

Monaco , Spain

Peter Obi has issued a powerful denunciation of the escalating violence gripping Nigeria’s North-West, warning that the brutal abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the deadly raids in Zamfara represent a deepening national tragedy that the country “must never normalise.”

Speaking from Monaco on Tuesday, the former presidential candidate said he received reports of the latest attacks “with a heavy heart,” insisting that the wave of terror spreading across rural communities has pushed many Nigerians to the edge of despair.

The attack on Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi State left several students abducted and a staff member killed in cold blood. Hours later, Zamfara’s Tsafe LGA was thrown into mourning after armed groups stormed Fegin Baza village, killing at least three residents and kidnapping more than 60 people in yet another night of violence.

Obi described the incidents as “deeply distressing acts that no society should accept,” warning that schools—symbols of hope, growth, and aspiration—are increasingly becoming theatres of terror.

“Entire communities are living in fear. Schools—supposed sanctuaries for learning—have become soft targets. Families are being shattered, and innocent lives wasted. This is not the Nigeria we should accept,” Obi said.

He offered heartfelt condolences to the grieving families in Zamfara and extended solidarity to parents in Kebbi who remain in torturous uncertainty as rescue efforts continue to locate and free the abducted schoolgirls.

“The trauma these families are enduring is unimaginable,” he said. “Children who left home with dreams and ambitions ended up in the hands of violent criminals. No nation that values its future can allow this to continue.”

Obi called on the federal government and state authorities to take urgent and coordinated action to rebuild citizens’ trust and restore security across the country. He emphasised the need for an immediate overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, intensified rescue operations, and stronger protection of schools and rural settlements that have become prime targets for armed groups.

“Our government must do better to protect our children and secure our nation,” he said. “Security personnel working tirelessly on the frontlines need better support, better intelligence, and better tools to confront this menace.”

He urged authorities to prioritise the safe return of all abducted victims while assuring families that many Nigerians stand with them in their moment of anguish.

Obi ended his statement with a stark reminder that the soul of the nation is at stake.

“Nigeria must rise above this. Our children deserve safety, and our people deserve peace. Terror is not our destiny, and we must never resign ourselves to it.”

As communities across the North-West brace for what has become a relentless cycle of attacks, Obi’s remarks echo the growing national frustration with insecurity—an issue that continues to challenge Nigeria’s stability, governance, and future.