“You Can’t Fight Insecurity with Bullets Alone”—Peter Obi

Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader, Peter Obi, has once again called for a shift in Nigeria’s national priorities, asserting that the root of the country’s security challenges lies in widespread poverty, poor governance, and systemic neglect.

In a strongly worded post on his official social media platforms, Obi stressed that insecurity in Nigeria cannot be addressed by military force alone. He argued that decades of bad leadership, massive corruption, and underinvestment in human capital have left millions of Nigerians impoverished, creating fertile ground for criminality and extremism.

“I have consistently maintained that the more we pull people out of poverty, the more we reduce criminality — and the reverse is also true,” Obi wrote.

“You cannot separate security from human development; they are inextricably linked.”

He described the spate of criminality across the country as neither “a coincidence nor an accident,” but a direct consequence of failed governance and misplaced priorities.

Citing stark statistics, Obi noted that nearly 100 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, while over 140 million suffer from multidimensional poverty. He warned that such conditions make security crises inevitable unless urgent steps are taken to uplift the lives of ordinary citizens.

Obi’s remarks come days after the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, made a similar appeal during a public engagement, saying:

“You cannot fight insecurity with bullets alone. You must address the root causes: poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and injustice.”

Echoing the general’s sentiment, Obi said even military leaders on the frontline understand that Nigeria’s security cannot be secured by force alone. He stressed that investing in education, healthcare, and poverty eradication is not just a social need but a national security imperative.

He invoked the wisdom of historical figures like Mallam Aminu Kano, who warned against criminalising poverty, and Mother Teresa, who reminded the world that hunger stems not from divine neglect but human indifference.

“A child out of school today becomes vulnerable to manipulation and extremism tomorrow,” Obi warned.

“Every naira we invest in people today is one less bullet we need to fire tomorrow. That is the real meaning of security.”

Obi, who has consistently championed the redirection of national resources toward productive sectors, criticised what he called the country’s obsession with “billion-naira contracts for white elephant projects,” arguing that real development is about “structures with purpose, not just concrete and glass.”

He concluded by urging a national reckoning and a bold shift away from the status quo.
“We cannot continue with business as usual. It is time to disrupt this cycle. That is how we build the new Nigeria that is possible,” he declared.