Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has condemned ongoing efforts to negotiate with bandits and terrorists, insisting that Nigeria must take firm and coordinated action—both locally and internationally—to combat worsening insecurity.
Obasanjo spoke on Friday night at the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival 2025, where he lamented that Nigerians across regions and religions continued to be killed while the government struggled to contain the crisis.
According to him, the Tinubu administration and leaders at every level must prioritise the protection of citizens rather than placating violent groups.
“No matter what religion you belong to. No matter where you come from. No matter your profession, we Nigerians are being killed, and our government seems to be incapable of protecting us,” he said.
He argued that Nigeria is part of a global community and must not hesitate to seek international support if the government cannot effectively tackle the problem.
“If our government cannot do it, we have the right to call on the international community to do for us what our government cannot do for us,” he added.
Obasanjo recalled that even before he left office, Nigeria possessed the intelligence capacity to identify criminals anywhere in the country through satellite and tracking technology. A viral online video also showed him criticising the underuse of such tools, questioning why the country continued to negotiate with criminals instead of confronting them.
“Before I left the government, I knew we had the capacity to pick up anybody in Nigeria who commits crime anywhere. The capacity we didn’t have then was after identifying and locating such a criminal, we couldn’t apprehend him without moving on land or by air,” he said.
He stressed that prayers alone were not enough and urged Nigerians to demand results from institutions responsible for internal security.
Obasanjo warned against normalising violence or treating mass killings as routine, noting that every loss of life is a national tragedy.
He maintained that addressing insecurity requires a joint effort involving citizens, security agencies, experts, and, where necessary, international partners, emphasising that his concerns stem from deep worry over Nigeria’s deteriorating safety situation.
