Abeokuta – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lambasted Nigeria’s protracted security crisis as a self-perpetuating “industry” that has outlasted the country’s civil war, urging leaders to deploy specialised training, equipment, intelligence, and technology to dismantle it.
Speaking on Sunday during a virtual edition of *The Toyin Falola Interviews*, Obasanjo highlighted how the 15-year battle against Boko Haram and banditry—now nationwide—has become economically entrenched, benefiting vested interests and even involving potential collusion within security ranks.
“The whole thing is an industry. Civil war lasted 30 months—though we thought six—but this fight against insurgents and criminals has dragged for almost 15 years,” Obasanjo said, drawing from his 2011 visit to Maiduguri where he probed Boko Haram’s origins and pushed for a failed 21-day ceasefire.
Joined by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese and former CBN Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu, the elder statesman warned that without a holistic overhaul, the insurgency will persist, exacerbated by internal sabotage and a lack of trust from international partners for intelligence sharing.
He recounted his Niger Delta success, where amnesty and dialogue tamed militancy, but stressed Nigeria’s military—trained for conventional warfare—needs specialised counter-insurgency skills from nations that have beaten similar threats.
Obasanjo called insecurity a “national emergency” touching every region, from Southeast kidnappings to Southwest cultism and Northeast jihadism. He advocated seeking global aid unapologetically: “If our government is incapable, let us ask the international community. There’s nothing wrong with that—they have an interest in our peaceful existence.”
The former leader also flagged the out-of-school children crisis as a ticking bomb, noting insecurity blocks education, breeding future recruits: “If we don’t educate them, they become a liability and greater security problem.”
His remarks come amid escalating violence, including recent Plateau attacks and bandit surges in the Northwest, underscoring the urgency for President Bola Tinubu’s administration to act decisively.
