Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised Nigeria’s lingering security crisis, arguing that the fight against Boko Haram and other insurgent groups has dragged on so long that it now resembles “an industry” benefiting various actors both inside and outside government.
Speaking on Sunday during the Toyin Falola Interviews, streamed live, Obasanjo lamented that the insurgency has persisted far longer than the 30-month civil war despite massive defence spending.
Joined by Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese and former CBN Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu, Obasanjo assessed Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
He said successive leaders have failed to apply the right blend of modern counterinsurgency strategies, instead relying largely on traditional military tactics unsuited for combating a dispersed terrorist network operating among civilians.
“The military is trained for conventional war. If the people you are dealing with are fleeing targets or living among your people, you will need different types of training,” he explained.
Obasanjo praised Colombia’s counterinsurgency successes and suggested Nigeria might need to learn from them: “Among the countries that have done that fairly successfully is Colombia. Should we invite them? There is no shame in that.”
Drawing from his experience addressing Niger Delta militancy during his tenure, Obasanjo hinted at internal sabotage and vested interests within Nigeria’s security structure.
“The whole thing is an industry. It is an industry,” he said, criticising practices such as allowing officers to procure their own equipment.
He stressed that training, intelligence, technology, and specialised gear must work in sync, warning that Nigeria cannot win the war if foreign partners mistrust Lagos or Abuja due to information leaks or compromised personnel.
Obasanjo also revisited his 2011 backchannel talks with Boko Haram, revealing that although the group initially rejected dialogue, they later agreed to a 21-day ceasefire.
“They agreed to 21 days of ceasefire to negotiate. Government failed to reach out,” he recalled.
Despite trillions of naira spent since 2009, insurgent attacks, mass kidnappings, and banditry continue to plague communities across the North-East and North-West.
