Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the battle against Boko Haram has now lasted longer than the civil war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970.
Gatekeepers News reports that he made the remark on Sunday during the “Toyin Falola Interviews,” which was streamed live on social media. Other speakers at the event included Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, and Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Responding to questions on insurgency, Obasanjo said Nigeria’s leaders must realise that the country needs the right blend of training, equipment, intelligence, and technology to end the crisis.
He added that there is nothing wrong with sending Nigerian military personnel to countries that have handled similar problems successfully.
Drawing from his experience with the Niger Delta militancy, he said he would not dismiss the possibility of some security officials working hand in hand with insurgents.
He said, “There are four important items and I hope that those who are in charge — military, executive, and legislature — know what they are doing.”
“First, there is training. There are different types of training. The military is trained for conventional war. If the people you are dealing with are fleeting targets or living among your people, you will need different types of training to deal with them.”
“Among the countries that have done that fairly successfully is Colombia. Should we invite them to train our people? There is no shame in that. It is a specialised type of training. There is the equipment. The equipment to fight that type of warfare.”
“It is different from the equipment for conventional warfare. The other one is intelligence. You need absolute intelligence. Can others trust us with the intelligence that they have?
“The fourth one is technology. These four have to come together and do other things internally. Then you ask the military to be the one buying equipment. It is not done. The whole thing is an industry.”
“It is an industry. Civil war lasted for 30 months. Although we thought it would last for six months. But this fight against insurgents and criminals has lasted for almost 15 years.”
Obasanjo also recalled visiting Maiduguri in 2011 to understand the roots, grievances, and leadership structure of Boko Haram. He said the group first rejected talks with the government but later agreed to a 21-day ceasefire to allow for negotiation.
According to him, the federal government failed to follow up with the Boko Haram leaders after the offer was made.
