Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has cautioned that the Boko Haram insurgency has become entrenched in the daily lives of Nigerians, urging the country to confront the crisis with deeper reflection and stronger action.
Obasanjo made the remarks in Abuja on Friday during the public presentation of “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,” a book written by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.).
Boko Haram is now virtually becoming part of our lives. Should we accept that? If we should not accept it, what should we do?
How much do we know? Even from the other side, and from this side, have we been active enough? Have we been proactive enough?
“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,” Obasanjo said.
The former president, who also wrote the foreword to the book, commended Irabor for documenting his experiences in tackling terrorism, describing the effort as a courageous contribution to history.
The event drew high-profile attendees, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, serving and retired service chiefs, governors, and religious leaders.
Jonathan, in his remarks, revealed that Boko Haram fighters once named then-General Muhammadu Buhari as their preferred negotiator during peace talks with his administration.
He explained that his government had pursued multiple committees and strategies to end the insurgency, but the conflict proved more complex than often portrayed.
Jonathan further admitted that the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 would remain a painful and permanent scar on his presidency.
Source: Vanguard
