‘Stop Pampering Bandits’: Obasanjo Warns FG

• Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned the Federal Government to stop negotiating with bandits, insisting that Nigeria must take decisive military action and, if necessary, call for international intervention to tackle rising insecurity.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has firmly rejected ongoing calls for negotiations with bandits, urging the Federal Government to end all forms of appeasement and instead seek international support to confront the country’s worsening insecurity crisis.

Speaking on Friday at the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival in Jos, the former president said the current wave of killings, abductions and violent attacks across Nigeria shows that the government has failed in its duty to protect citizens.

His comments come amid a series of high-profile kidnappings and deadly raids in the North.
On November 21, terrorists abducted 315 students and 13 teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.

Just days earlier, on November 17, 26 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State.

In another recent attack, bandits invaded Palaita community in Shiroro LGA of Niger State, kidnapping 24 people, including pregnant women, from a rice farm. About 20 more people were abducted in separate incidents across Kano and Kwara between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The fresh wave of violence came barely 24 hours after 38 worshippers abducted from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Eruku, Kwara State, on November 18, were released following negotiations with the attackers.

In the latest Tuesday incident, 10 people, including a pregnant woman, nursing mothers, and children, were kidnapped in Isapa community, near Eruku in Kwara State.

Condemning the situation, Obasanjo said Nigerians “have the right” to seek help from the international community if their government cannot guarantee their safety.

“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.

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“We are part of the world community. 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.”

Obasanjo emphasised that modern technology, including surveillance drones and precision-strike capabilities, should make it easier for security forces to locate and neutralise terrorists.

“Before I left government, we had the capacity to pick up anybody in Nigeria who commits a crime anywhere. What we lacked then was the ability to apprehend such criminals without moving on land or air,” he explained.

“Now we have capacity. With drones, we can sleeve them up. You can take them out. Why are we not doing that? Why are we apologising? Why are we negotiating?”