“Nigeria Has Become a Theatre of Bloodshed” -Maazi Ezeoke Blasts Tinubu Over General’s Death

Village Boys Movement founder, Mazi Tochukwu Ezeoke, has strongly criticized Nigeria’s worsening security situation following the death of retired Major General Rabi Abu-Bakar while in kidnappers’ captivity. Speaking on a television program, Ezeoke described the incident as a “catastrophic security failure” and argued that debates over whether the late general died from illness, a snakebite, or other causes miss the central issue, that a senior military officer was abducted and held by bandits inside Nigeria. He lamented the rising number of military officers killed or kidnapped in recent months, warning that if generals and senior officers are no longer safe, ordinary Nigerians face even greater risks. Ezeoke accused the federal government of failing to confront insecurity decisively and called for aggressive action against bandit groups rather than repeated ultimatums. On the continued captivity of the late general’s wife and other kidnapped victims, including schoolchildren, he urged the government to declare a national emergency on insecurity and focus all efforts on rescuing those still being held. Addressing calls by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that “Nigeria is bleeding,” Ezeoke welcomed the intervention but argued that stronger civic action, including peaceful mass protests, may be necessary to compel government action. On politics, he dismissed claims that Peter Obi’s strong performance in the Southeast during the 2023 election was a fluke, insisting that Obi would remain highly competitive in the region regardless of endorsements by Southeast governors for President Bola Tinubu. He also acknowledged ongoing federal road projects in the Southeast but maintained that government officials were simply performing their duties, not doing the region a favor. Ezeoke further weighed in on the dispute between Peter Obi and former Labour Party spokesperson Kenneth Okonkwo, suggesting that some of Okonkwo’s allegations had been weakened by recent public denials from individuals cited in support of his claims.