Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has explained that former President Goodluck Jonathan did not take the insurgency seriously in the belief that the terror group was a device by the North to torpedo his government. He said:
“Jonathan didn’t believe that Boko Haram was a serious issue. He thought that it was a device by the North to prevent him from continuing as president of Nigeria which was rather unfortunate.”
Obasanjo added:
“Even when Chibok girls were abducted, it took a while for the government to believe. Now if that is the situation, you can understand why the right attention was not paid to the issue of Boko Haram when it should have been paid.”
The former President observed that Boko Haram insurgency might not end soon, noting that it stemmed from underdevelopment, unemployment and youth frustration in the North-East.
“Boko Haram will not be over. It started from a position of gross underdevelopment, unemployment, youth frustration in the North-East. So, we must be treating the disease not the symptom,” Obasanjo submitted.