“Nigerians Are Dying, Not Campaigning”: GOMEP President Otiti Demands Action as Insecurity Devastates Communities

By Charity Uwakwe

“As thousands of Nigerian families battle grief, displacement, and fear amid escalating insecurity, the National President of the Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG), Comrade Akpovoke Otiti, has issued a passionate call for national unity and urgent action. In a strongly worded statement, Otiti urged Nigerians and political leaders to put human lives above political ambitions, warning that communities across the country are being destroyed by banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks.”

“What did GOMEP President Akpovoke Otiti say about insecurity in Nigeria?
GOMEP-NG President Comrade Akpovoke Otiti called on Nigerians to stand in solidarity with victims of insecurity and urged government officials to prioritize the protection of lives and property over political campaigns. He expressed concern over increasing attacks, kidnappings, and displacement across several states, stressing that leadership should focus on restoring security and hope to affected communities.”

ABUJA, Nigeria — The National President of the Guild of Online Media Editors and Publishers of Nigeria (GOMEP-NG), Comrade Akpovoke Otiti, has called on Nigerians to rise above political divisions and stand in solidarity with grieving families affected by the worsening security situation across the country.

In a press statement signed and made available to journalists, Otiti appealed to citizens, leaders, and stakeholders to support the countless mothers, fathers, and communities devastated by banditry, kidnappings, killings, and displacement in states including Oyo, Zamfara, Katsina, Kwara, Kaduna, Kano, and other parts of Nigeria.

Describing himself as “a son of the soil,” Otiti said he was speaking on behalf of innocent children who wake up daily to the sound of gunfire instead of the promise of a safe and prosperous future.

“We must stand up for the crying mothers in Oyo, Zamfara, Katsina, Kwara, Kaduna, Kano, and across Nigeria. We must stand up for fathers who dig graves with trembling hands to bury children murdered by bandits,” he said.
Otiti revealed that the growing insecurity has become a source of deep concern for many Nigerians, including himself.

“I speak as a son of the soil. I speak for our children who wake up to the sound of guns. Some days ago, I could not sleep. While the night was quiet in my hotel room in Abuja, families elsewhere were under attack.

Traditional rulers fled their palaces in Kwara State because of bandit attacks. Schoolchildren were abducted in Oyo, and teachers were slaughtered.”

The media leader also questioned the priorities of political leaders amid the country’s security challenges. Reacting to reports that Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his “number one project,” Otiti argued that safeguarding lives should remain the foremost responsibility of government.

“Governor Oborevwori says President Tinubu is his number one project and that any Deltan who refuses to vote for him and Tinubu is an enemy of Delta. Yet many Delta farmers are being chased away from their farmlands by bandits and terrorists. The blood of our children is flowing like a river across our land.”

According to him, asking bereaved families to focus on politics while mourning loved ones lost to violence reflects a disconnect from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

“How do you tell a mother who has lost her child to bandits to vote for you and Tinubu while she is still mourning? This is about our children who should be in school with books in their hands, but now carry fear in their hearts instead of hope.”

Furthermore, Otiti lamented the destruction of once-thriving communities that previously celebrated marriages, festivals, and achievements but have now become ghost settlements due to insecurity.

“Our communities that once hosted celebrations are now silent. Houses have been burnt. Entire communities have been abandoned. Only the wind moves through them.”

He maintained that political endorsements and campaign rhetoric should not overshadow the urgent need to secure lives, protect farmlands, and restore confidence among citizens.

“You cannot talk about politics and make President Tinubu your major focus while our people are being driven from their farmlands and mothers are burying their children.

Nigeria is unsafe, Mr. Governor. Is it that you no longer respect humanity, or has political ambition become greater than the lives of Nigerians, especially Deltans?”

The GOMEP-NG President stressed that leadership demands sacrifice, responsibility, and decisive action.

“Leadership is not about comfort. Leadership is about sacrifice and action. We do not need statements; we need security.”

Otiti also highlighted the plight of the Okuama community in Delta State, describing it as a painful reminder of the human cost of violence and displacement.

“There is silence in Okuama, a community that once celebrated marriages and social gatherings. Today, goats wander without owners. Schoolchildren’s sandals remain half-buried in the ground. Houses have been razed. The trauma suffered by displaced families will remain in their hearts forever.”

He further expressed concern that many communities continue to suffer while political discussions dominate public discourse.
“Yet, leaders smile on national television and make political speeches while our forests have become havens for bandits and terrorists.”

Otiti concluded by urging governments at all levels to place the protection of lives and property above politics, insisting that the security and welfare of citizens must remain the primary purpose of leadership and governance in Nigeria.