Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed calls for negotiations with bandits, insisting that Nigeria must take firm action and seek international assistance to address the country’s growing security crisis.
Speaking at the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival in Jos on Friday, Obasanjo called on the Federal Government to stop apologising to and negotiating with terrorists, describing the current spate of killings and abductions as unacceptable.
His remarks come amid a surge in attacks across the North, including the abduction of 315 students and 13 teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, and the earlier kidnapping of 26 schoolgirls in Kebbi State on November 17.
In recent days, bandits abducted 24 people, including pregnant women, from a rice farm in Palaita community, Erena Ward, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. Additional abductions were reported in Kano and Kwara States, with about 20 people taken between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
This comes just a day after 38 worshippers abducted from Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Eruku, Ikere, Kwara State, on November 18, were released following negotiations with their captors. In a subsequent attack, 10 people, including pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children, were seized from Isapa community near Eruku.
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Addressing the security challenges, Obasanjo criticised the government’s handling of the situation and stressed Nigerians’ right to international intervention. “No matter what religion you belong to. No matter where you come from. No matter your profession, we Nigerians are being killed, and our government seems to be incapable of protecting us. We are part of the world community. If our government cannot do it, we have the right to call on the international community to do for us what our government cannot do for us,” he said.
Obasanjo also highlighted the potential of modern technology in combating terrorism, contrasting it with limitations during his tenure. “Before I left the government, I knew we had the capacity to pick up anybody in Nigeria who commits crime anywhere. The capacity we didn’t have then was after identifying and locating such a criminal, we couldn’t apprehend him without moving on land or by air. Now we have capacity. With drones, we can sleeve them up. You can take them out. Why are we not doing that? Why are we apologising? Why are we negotiating?”
The former president’s comments underscore growing frustration over the rising insecurity and reinforce calls for decisive action to protect Nigerians and restore safety across affected communities.