Obasanjo Rejects Negotiation With Bandits, Asks Nigeria To Seek Foreign Help

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has rejected the idea of negotiating with bandits and terrorists, even as he bemoaned a situation where Nigerians of all beliefs were being killed but the incumbent President Bola Tinubu-led government seemed incapable to stop the menace.

He insisted that Nigeria must take decisive action and embrace international assistance to tackle insecurity in the face of helplessness.

Speaking at the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival 2025 on Friday night, the former Obasanjo said the federal government and leaders at all levels must fulfil their responsibility to protect lives rather than resort to appeasing criminals.

“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.

“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,” he said.

He noted that with today’s advanced satellite and drone technologies, criminals should have no hiding place, recalling that even before he left office, Nigeria already had the capacity to identify and track perpetrators of crimes.

A viral video posted by AIT Online also quoted the former president as questioning why such tools were not being deployed more aggressively, asking why the country continued to apologise or negotiate with criminals instead of confronting them decisively.

“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,” Obasanjo recalled.

According to him, it was not enough to pray, as Nigerians must insist that government institutions act effectively.

He warned against normalising or comparing tragedies, stressing that every Nigerian life lost to criminality is a national shame.

Obasanjo argued that tackling insecurity requires collective effort from citizens, security agencies, experts, and even international partners.

Obasanjo said his stance comes from deep concern about Nigeria’s security challenges and the need for urgent, coordinated action.