Presidential candidate questions Oyo-focused recruitment, demands a nationwide strategy to tackle insecurity.
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approval of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo State, describing the move as a reactive and poorly planned response to the country’s security challenges.
In a statement shared on his X account on Friday, Obi said the decision followed recent school abductions in Oyo State but failed to address the broader insecurity affecting several parts of Nigeria.
According to him, security challenges are not limited to Oyo, noting that states such as Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Borno, Katsina, Anambra, Niger, Imo and Sokoto are also facing serious threats.
Obi questioned whether the Federal Government intends to approve a similar number of forest guards for all 36 states and the FCT or if the decision was made solely in response to recent events in Oyo.
He also raised concerns about the role of the South-West security outfit, Amotekun Corps, asking whether the new recruits would replace or complement existing state-backed security structures.
The former Anambra governor argued that Nigeria’s insecurity crisis requires a comprehensive and well-coordinated national strategy rather than what he described as selective and reactive interventions.
He maintained that sustainable security can only be achieved through stronger leadership, economic development, job creation and policies that address the root causes of crime and instability across the country.