Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader, Mr. Peter Obi, has once again drawn attention to the link between insecurity and underdevelopment in Nigeria, stressing that rising criminality is a direct consequence of poverty, misgovernance, and failed leadership.
In a series of tweets shared on Sunday, Obi asserted that Nigeria’s security crisis cannot be solved by military force alone, but requires deliberate investment in education, healthcare, and poverty eradication. He described security and human development as “inextricably linked,” warning that the nation is reaping the bitter fruits of decades of neglect.
“I have consistently maintained that the more we pull people out of poverty, the more we reduce criminality. The reverse is also true,” Obi stated. “The criminality we witness in Nigeria today is not a coincidence or an accident. It is the cumulative outcome of decades of misplaced priorities.”
Citing current poverty statistics, Obi lamented that nearly 100 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, with over 140 million experiencing multidimensional poverty. He argued that such harsh socio-economic conditions inevitably lead to instability and insecurity.
Obi also referenced a recent statement by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who noted that insecurity cannot be defeated with weapons alone but must be addressed through poverty reduction, employment, education, and justice.
“This is not coming from a politician,” Obi said, “but from the nation’s top military commander. Even the boots on the ground know the battle cannot be won by force alone. We must win it through human dignity, opportunity, and justice.”
The former Anambra State governor also echoed the words of late Northern political icon, Mallam Aminu Kano, who once said, “The problem with Nigeria is that we abandon the masses and then criminalise their hunger.” According to Obi, this decades-old truth still resonates today.
He warned that children out of school, families in hunger, and communities without basic infrastructure are vulnerable to violence and extremism. Quoting Mother Teresa, Obi reminded Nigerians that the death of a poor person from hunger is not an act of God, but a result of human failure to provide what is needed.
Obi called for an urgent national shift in priorities, insisting that Nigeria must disrupt the cycle of poor governance by investing in people-focused sectors like education, health, and agriculture.
“We cannot keep reacting to crises self-inflicted by bad leadership and policy failure,” he said. “Every naira we invest in people today is one less bullet we need to fire tomorrow. That is the real meaning of security.”
The statement forms part of Peter Obi’s broader advocacy for a restructured, people-centered Nigeria, as he continues to champion issue-based dialogue in the country’s political discourse.