Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo decisively ended Boko Haram’s early activities within weeks when the group first emerged during their administration in 2002.
Speaking in Abuja during a meeting with stakeholders from Kogi East Senatorial District, Atiku recounted how the militant sect initially surfaced in Yobe State. According to him, President Obasanjo immediately consulted him, and they summoned the Service Chiefs, giving them a strict deadline to dismantle the insurgency or resign. He claimed the military complied swiftly and successfully neutralized the threat.
Atiku attributed this success to political will, something he said has been lacking in later administrations. He criticized subsequent governments for their failure to respond to Boko Haram’s resurgence with equal urgency and resolve.
Atiku stated, “They’re killing your citizens and you don’t give a damn; that is the greatest irresponsibility by any political leader, anywhere.” He squarely blamed Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges on leadership failure and lack of decisive action.
Atiku served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic under President Obasanjo. Boko Haram would later resurface as a far deadlier force around 2009, evolving into one of Africa’s most notorious terrorist groups.
