Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that Nigeria is losing the fight against insurgency and banditry due to inadequate military training and the continued reliance on conventional warfare tactics.
Obasanjo said this on Sunday while speaking virtually on the Toyin Falola Interviews, noting that the Boko Haram insurgency had lasted about 15 years, far longer than the 1967–1970 civil war which ended in 30 months.
He said Nigeria’s security forces were trained mainly for conventional warfare and lacked the specialised skills required to tackle asymmetric threats posed by insurgents operating within civilian populations.
According to him, the country must invest in specialised foreign training, modern equipment, advanced intelligence gathering and technology to reverse the trend.
“Training is key. What we are facing now is a specialised kind of warfare, and there is no shame in seeking help or learning from countries that have handled it better,” he said.
Obasanjo recalled that during a visit to Maiduguri in 2011, early Boko Haram leaders had indicated willingness for dialogue and agreed to a ceasefire, but government failed to engage them.
He also stressed the importance of intelligence and internal discipline within the security forces, warning that sabotage and information leaks had undermined past security operations.
The former president said security should be treated as a national priority, adding that Nigeria should seek international support where necessary.
He criticised the tendency to rely on financial handouts rather than addressing the root causes of insecurity such as unemployment and social exclusion.
The interview also featured Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, as panellists.
