Abducted UTME Candidates: Obi Decries Worsening Security, Demands Urgent Rescue

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the abduction of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates in Benue State, describing the incident as a stark sign of worsening insecurity across Nigeria.

In a statement shared via his verified X account on Friday, Obi said the kidnapping of the students was both tragic and a clear indication of leadership failure.

“The news of the abduction of innocent UTME candidates in Benue State is not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor expressed concern over the increasing exposure of young Nigerians to violence while pursuing education, warning that such a trend threatens the country’s future.

“We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence. A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future,” he added.

Obi also pointed to Nigeria’s low tertiary education attainment, noting it lags behind countries like Indonesia and South Africa, making the incident even more troubling.

He further criticised authorities, accusing them of focusing on political ambitions rather than citizens’ safety.

“Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with the next election… rather than deploying that same power to secure our roads and rescue the abducted children,” he said.

Calling the situation a growing pattern rather than an isolated event, Obi urged swift and decisive action to tackle insecurity nationwide.

“This is no longer an isolated tragedy. It is a pattern. It is a national crisis. And it demands urgent, decisive, and responsible action—not excuses, not silence, but leadership that matches the scale of the emergency,” he said.