Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has made a damning assessment of Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, claiming the country’s prolonged security crisis has become “an industry” that benefits people both inside and outside the government.
Speaking on the Toyin Falola Interviews alongside Bishop Matthew Kukah and former CBN Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu, Obasanjo didn’t mince words about why Boko Haram and other threats remain undefeated after more than 15 years.
His comparison was striking: Nigeria’s civil war ended in 30 months. Yet the insurgency has dragged on for over a decade with no end in sight.
“The whole thing is an industry. It is an industry,” Obasanjo said, suggesting that some people are profiting from the chaos.
According to the former president, Nigeria keeps making the same mistake, using conventional military tactics against enemies who hide among civilians and disappear into communities.
“The military is trained for conventional war. If the people you’re dealing with are fleeing targets or living among civilians, you need a different kind of training,” he explained.
He pointed to Colombia’s successful fight against insurgents as proof that Nigeria could learn from others. “Should we invite them? There is no shame in that.”
Obasanjo suggested the rot goes deeper than poor strategy.
He hinted at internal sabotage, corrupt procurement processes, and compromised officers who allegedly have to buy their own equipment, a shocking claim that raises questions about where defence budgets actually go.
He warned that Nigeria risks losing international support if foreign allies believe sensitive information gets leaked or compromised.
Without proper intelligence gathering, technology, and specialized training working together, he said, defeating terrorism remains a pipe dream.
Perhaps most revealing was Obasanjo’s account of a missed opportunity in 2011.
He disclosed that after initial resistance, Boko Haram agreed to a 21-day ceasefire to negotiate peace.
“They agreed to 21 days of ceasefire to negotiate. Government failed to reach out,” he said with visible frustration.
That failure to act may have cost Nigeria years of bloodshed and countless lives.
Despite pouring trillions of naira into security since 2009, insurgent attacks, banditry, kidnappings, and mass abductions continue ravaging the North-East and North-West.
The question Obasanjo and many Nigerians are asking: Where is all that money going? And who benefits from keeping the war going?
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