Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has voiced concern that the battle against Boko Haram in Nigeria has endured longer than the nation’s civil war from 1967 to 1970.
He addressed the audience on Sunday during the ‘Toyin Falola Interviews’ discussion, which was broadcast live on social media.
Additional panelists include Catholic Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese and Mr. Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In response to inquiries about insurgency in Nigeria, the former president stated that leadership must recognize that Nigeria requires a mix of training, equipment, intelligence, and technology to combat insurgency effectively.
Obasanjo stated that it is acceptable for Nigerian military members to undergo training in nations that have effectively addressed the insurgency issue.
Drawing on his experience with militancy in the Niger Delta, he mentioned that he cannot dismiss the possibility of security forces collaborating with insurgents.
His words: “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 specialized type of training.
“There is the equipment. The equipment to fight that type of warfare. It differs from 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.
“The 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.”
He described his travel to Maiduguri in 2011 to learn about Boko Haram’s origins, complaints, and leadership, saying the terrorists first refused to speak with the Federal Government.
According to him, Boko Haram eventually agreed to a 21-day ceasefire to allow for negotiations, however, the government failed to contact Boko Haram leaders.
