The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed a statement by Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, in which he described Nigeria as a “killing field.” Obi, citing figures from Amnesty International, claimed in a post on X that over 10,000 lives had been lost to terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs in the past two years.
In a swift response, APC Lagos spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, described Obi’s remarks as baseless and politically motivated. He said Obi’s assertion was a gross misrepresentation of the progress made under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, especially in the area of national security.
Oladejo emphasized that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Nigerian Armed Forces had recorded notable achievements, including dismantling terrorist networks and restoring peace in many communities. He cited data from the Ministry of Defence’s midterm report (August 2023 to April 2025), which documented the neutralization of 9,415 terrorists, arrest of over 3,159 suspects, and rescue of 5,449 hostages.
Additional data from the Defence Headquarters’ two-year summary indicated that 6,260 terrorists were killed, 14,138 criminals apprehended, and 5,365 civilians rescued. The military also reportedly recovered N83 billion worth of stolen crude oil.
Oladejo detailed results from zonal operations: In the North-East (Operation Hadin Kai), 1,246 terrorists were killed, 2,467 arrested, and 1,920 civilians freed. In the North-West (Operation Fasan Yamma), 1,374 bandits were neutralized, 2,160 arrested or surrendered, and 3,288 hostages rescued.
“These numbers represent real lives saved, not just statistics,” Oladejo said, citing a recent military operation in Katsina that rescued 76 hostages — including children — from kidnappers involved in a mosque attack that left over 50 people dead.
