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| Olusegun Obasanjo. |
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared insights into his findings about Boko Haram insurgents, as well as why the crisis has continued for years following the group’s major attacks in Nigeria.
He made these remarks on Friday while speaking as Chairman during the unveiling of the book titled Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, authored by former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor (retired), held in Abuja.
Obasanjo stated that the rise of the terrorist group was not necessarily due to a quest for political influence or rooted in deep religious ideology but rather driven by a desire for an improved standard of living.
“I found, yes, there was Boko Haram. I found they were not really aiming for anything political or anything seriously religious. But in short, they were looking for a better life. And any other thing attached to that is a better life for them,” he said.
The former Nigerian military ruler and two-term civilian president went on to question whether the country has truly understood the root of the issue and if adequate steps have been taken to resolve it. He suggested that Boko Haram might not have become such a constant issue had early actions been taken.
“Have we understood that? If we have, have we taken the steps that we should take? If we have, why are we, after fifteen years? Is Boko Haram not virtually becoming part of our life? Should we accept that? If we should not accept, what should we do? How much do we know?” He asked.
Obasanjo also raised concerns about Nigeria’s level of responsiveness across all sectors and institutions in confronting the insurgency, which he described as a growing threat within the country.
“I think we have to ask ourselves the necessary questions to be able to deal with this thing that is now becoming a monster within our country,” he added.
The event was attended by several notable Nigerians, such as former President Goodluck Jonathan; the current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Bagudu; the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar; and Bishop Hassan Kukah, among others.
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