Obasanjo Decries Nigeria’s Persistent Insecurity, Demands Decisive Action

Seriki Adinoyi and Yemi Kosoko in Jos

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has decried Nigeria’s persistent insecurity, declaring that the country “is being killed,” warning that citizens may need to seek international support if the government fails to protect them.Obasanjo made the remarks in Jos yesterday, at the second edition of the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carol held at the Ten Commandments Prayer Alter.

The former president reflected on the state of the nation and Nigeria’s prolonged struggle with violent crimes and insecurity.According to him, insecurity has now reached an intolerable point.“One problem we have is insecurity, and it has been with us. It did not begin with this administration, not even with the administration before it,” he said, adding that,“ from the kidnapping of  the Chibok girls until now, Insecurity has continued to go from bad to worse.”

He criticised attempts to rationalise killings along ethnic or religious lines, describing such excuses as dangerous and unacceptable.“For anybody at any time to say that when Nigerians are being killed, the explanation is that those killed belong to this group or another nonsensical group. We are being killed. We  are Nigerians, no matter the religion or where you come from, we are being killed”, he said.

Obasanjo added that government at all levels must face its constitutional responsibility. “The first responsibility of any government is the protection and security of its citizens, but our government seems incapable of protecting us.”The former president warned that Nigerians may be justified in calling for external support from international bodies if the government cannot do anything about the security of its citizens.

“If our government cannot do it, we have a right to call on the international community to do for us what our government cannot do. We should have no apology for that,” he declared.He also questioned the reason security agencies were not using available technology to track and neutralise criminal gangs.“In these days of technology, nobody should be able to hide anywhere after committing a crime,” he said. “Before I left government, I knew we had the capacity to identify and locate anybody in Nigeria who committed a crime. Now we have the capacity with drones, you can take them out. Why are we not doing that?”Obasanjo insisted that the killings must stop, saying, “Every Nigerian life that is lost is a shame for Nigeria. We are tired of being killed. The killing of Nigerians must stop.”Governor Caleb Mutfwang, in his address, described the Unity Carol as a symbol of Plateau’s resolve to heal and unite despite years of conflict. “Individually, we can worship God in our homes, but God is delighted when we come together as a people in unity,” he said.Mutfwang emphasised that the state cannot progress without internal cohesion.“Plateau is a blessed state, but we have not been able to achieve much because we are fighting one another,” he said. “Let us drop the things that divide us and focus on the things that unite us.”He added that the state’s unity was essential for defeating insecurity, noting that, “with unity we will be able to shut the door against the enemy that troubles us.”The Plateau Unity Christmas Carol, initiated last year, was envisioned as a three-day festival of worship meant to serve as a bridge across ethnic, religious, and political divides.