Peter Obi Condemns Attack On US Convoy In Anambra, Blames Unemployment, Poverty

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the attack on the US convoy which led to the death of four persons in Anambra on Tuesday.

Persons killed include two personnel from the US consulate and two police officers, while three others were kidnapped, local police and US officials said.

The attackers “murdered two police operatives and two staff of the US consulate and set their bodies and their vehicles ablaze,” CNN quoted Anambra police command as saying.

Reacting to the attack via his official Twitter page, the former Anambra governor said youth unemployment and poverty should be blamed for the incessant cases of insecurity in the state and country at large.

The rising crime rate in our community and country is not unconnected with the frightening rising poverty level and unemployment of youths in our land which is a consequence of a prolonged leadership failure over the years.

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) May 17, 2023

He said, “The rising crime rate in our community and country is not unconnected with the frightening rising poverty level and unemployment of youths in our land which is a consequence of a prolonged leadership failure over the years.

“When youths in their product ages remain idle for a prolonged time the devil finds in them veritable tools to build workshops in. Our redemption remains a quick turnaround from consumption to production

Sympathising with the victims, Obi said, “My heartfelt sympathy goes to the families of the deceased, the United States Embassy and other charitable International agencies involved.

“Nothing can be more deplorable than that somebody has to die while rendering a charity job for a people and a nation in need.”

The personnel who were killed were not US citizens, according to the White House and the local police.

“No US citizens were involved and therefore there were no US citizens hurt,” CNN quoted John Kirby of the US National Security Council as saying. “We are aware of some casualties, perhaps even some killed.”

According to CNN, Ikenga Tochukwu, a deputy superintendent of police, said that when the assailants saw security forces, they made away with two police operatives and a driver of the second vehicle in the convoy, reiterating that no US citizen was in the convoy.