Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised concerns that Nigeria’s 15-year fight against Boko Haram has lasted much longer than the 30-month Nigerian civil war.
Speaking during a virtual edition of the Toyin Falola Interviews on Sunday, Obasanjo said Nigeria’s security forces are not adequately prepared for the kind of unconventional warfare Boko Haram is waging.
He noted that while the military is trained mainly for traditional battlefield combat, insurgents operate as flexible guerrilla fighters hidden within communities.
Obasanjo called for specialised foreign training, better intelligence gathering, and the use of modern technology to tackle the insurgency more effectively.
He also recalled his visit to Maiduguri in 2011, where Boko Haram leaders expressed interest in peace talks and even proposed a 21-day ceasefire.
However, he said the government failed to act on the offer, missing a crucial opportunity for dialogue and allowing the conflict to worsen
