Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed fresh insights into the Boko Haram insurgency, stressing that the group was never originally focused on political or religious control but rather on escaping poverty.
Obasanjo made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja while speaking as Chairman at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
According to him, his findings showed that Boko Haram fighters were motivated by survival and the pursuit of a better life.
“I found, yes, there was Boko Haram. I found they were not really aiming for anything political or anything seriously religious. But in short, they were looking for a better life.
And any other thing attached to that is a better life for them,” Obasanjo explained.
He lamented Nigeria’s slow and inadequate response to the crisis, warning that Boko Haram has now become entrenched in the country’s daily reality.
“Have we understood that? If we have, have we taken the steps that we should take? If we have, why are we, after fifteen years, Boko Haram is now virtually becoming part of our life? Should we accept that? If we should not accept, what should we do? How much do we know?” he asked.
The former president further challenged the nation’s leaders on their lack of proactiveness in addressing the insurgency, which he described as a growing monster within Nigeria.
“I think we have to ask ourselves the necessary questions to be able to deal with this thing that is now becoming a monster within our country,” Obasanjo added.
The book launch drew the presence of top dignitaries, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, President Bola Tinubu (represented by Minister of Defence, Abubakar Bagudu), the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, and Bishop Hassan Kukah.
Boko Haram emerged in Borno State in the early 2000s and escalated into a full-blown insurgency after its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed in police custody in 2009.
Since then, the group has carried out bombings, abductions, and deadly attacks on both military and civilian targets.
Despite several military campaigns and international assistance, the insurgency remains active more than 15 years later, leaving millions displaced and thousands dead.
Obasanjo’s remarks reflect the need for Nigeria to rethink its approach to terrorism, moving beyond guns and force to addressing the socio-economic roots of the crisis.
