Obasanjo: Insecurity today is so bad — my administration prioritised safety of citizens

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked the federal government to urgently address the gale of insecurity sweeping through the country.

Obasanjo spoke on Sunday at the palace of Rilwanu Suleiman-Adamu, Emir of Bauchi.

The retired general was in Bauchi to inaugurate road projects constructed by Bala Mohammed, governor of the state.

Obasanjo said the security situation in Nigeria today is so “bad”, adding that his administration prioritised safety of lives and property.

“The best form of security is community policing because everyone knows his or her neighbours within the community. With that, it is very easy to identify the bad eggs,” he said.

“The situation of insecurity in Nigeria today is so bad, unlike during our terms in office when we prioritise the security of lives and properties across the country.

“We need to do something urgently about this.”

The former president called on monarchs to encourage community policing in their domains to tackle the uptick in crimes.

“During our service to the nation, we did everything collectively. Our decisions were taken together to have a uniform focus,” he added.

“My brother, Ahmed Adamu Mu’Azu is seated here. And he will bear me witness. Whatever we achieved then was a collective effort.

“We need peace, unity, and collective support in this country if we must move forward. Things can be right and good again in the country. All we need to do is to get united and do things collectively.”

Obasanjo also donated hearing aids to the auditory impaired in the state.

He commended the governor for the projects, saying they would benefit the people of the state.

“I believe that leadership is not about personal ambition but about collective progress and well-being of our people,” he said.

“The project we are inaugurating today is part of our larger ambition for the state.”

The Bauchi governor said his administration has constructed 1,482.25km of road projects across the state.

“The roads we are commissioning today have significant milestones in our journey to build a new Bauchi,” he said.

SECURITY UNDER OBASANJO

Obasanjo ruled Nigeria as military head of state from 1976 to 1979 and as civilian president from 1999 to 2007.

During his second coming as president, the country witnessed a spate of riots and killings.

Militant groups, particularly in the oil rich Niger Delta and the south-east, sprung up. Among them were ⁠the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Egbesu boys, Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Niger Delta Liberation Front (NDLF), among others.

The groups sought absolute control of the region’s oil wealth and attacked oil installations while at it.

The Bakassi Boys, a notorious vigilante organisation in the south-east, also engaged in human rights abuses, including summary executions, torture and unlawful detention of citizens.

Nigeria also experienced sectarian violence on Obasanjo’s watch, notably the Sharia and Jos riots. The Jos riots reportedly claimed 2,000 lives.