Why Ex-British envoy faults Obi’s comment on Supersport crew killing

Roberts said the killing was an act of criminality, not an incident involving ‘non-state actors’ as Obi suggested in a statement he released after the attack.

While extending his condolences to the victims’ families and media organisations in a statement, the former diplomat said Obi’s comment on the incident stigmatises Nigeria.

Recall that unknown gunmen recently kidnapped three Supersport TV crew members while on their way to Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State to cover the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria and Libya.

The crew members were ambushed along Ihiala-Orlu Road in Anambra State, and out of the 14 persons in their vehicle, three were killed including a police officer, two escaped, eight were rescued and one remains unaccounted for.

Commenting on the tragic incident, the former Governor of Anambra State in a statement via his official X handle condemned the killing of the TV crew members, blaming the incident on non-state actors who inflict pain on families.

He said, “Non-state actors have continued to inflict pain and sorrow on families whose loved ones are often kidnapped and, at times, killed in gruesome ways.”

“In particular, I condemn in its entirety the unfortunate killing of some crew members of SuperSport TV, who were attacked in a tragic ambush along the Ihiala-Orlu Road, Anambra state, a few days ago.”

However, the ex-British envoy and former director of the British Council in Nigeria disagreed with Obi’s description of the killers as non-state actors, saying the use of such a term portrays Nigeria as a terror-invested country.

He said, “By using the words “non-state actors” to describe the perpetrators of this dastardly and cowardly attack, Mr Obi has perhaps deliberately or inadvertently given the international community a clue that this incident was an act of terror or an organised act by a separatist group.”

Roberts said it’s important to clarify Obi’s choice of words about the incident, saying terming the attack as terrorism could stigmatise Nigeria.

According to him, the incident was a random act of criminality by armed robbers or kidnappers, and not terrorism as Obi suggested.

“Using the term non-state actors in this incident unnecessarily stigmatises Nigeria, which may tank her index score in next year’s Global Terrorism Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace,” he said.

He, however, advised prominent Nigerians to be mindful of Nigeria’s international reputation when making statements about domestic affairs.