Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says citizens have “the right” to seek assistance from the global community due to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
Obasanjo made the comment during a Christmas Carol event held in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Friday.
The country has witnessed a significant rise in violent incidents in recent weeks. More than 200 schoolchildren were abducted in Niger and Kebbi states, and the kidnapping of church worshippers in Kwara was streamed live.
In Borno, an ISWAP ambush targeted a military convoy, leading to the capture and eventual execution of M. Uba, a brigadier general.
Other parts of the North including Zamfara, Sokoto, and Yobe have also recorded fresh killings and kidnappings.
Reacting to the situation, Obasanjo said the Bola Tinubu government is “incapable of protecting” citizens.
He stressed that authorities must end the habit of “apologising” and “negotiating” with violent groups, urging decisive military action.
“No matter what religion you belong to, no matter where you come from, no matter what profession you are in, we Nigerians are being killed, and our government seems to be incapable of protecting us,” Obasanjo said.
“We are part of the world community, and 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.”
On Wednesday, Tinubu announced a national security emergency and approved the rapid recruitment of additional security officers.
