Recently, former president of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo stood up and spoke clearly about the problem of insecurity in Nigeria: the kidnappings, the shootings and the violence. He stated that lives are lost every day and that it does not matter what religion or tribe one belongs to: every Nigerian life counts and no ethnic or religious excuse can explain the bloodshed.
He reminded us that security is the first duty of government: to protect people, their lives and their property. But right now our government seems incapable of doing that.
He urged our leaders to act. He said that with modern tools (satellites and drones) we have the ability to detect, locate and arrest criminals. So the question is: why don't we use them? Who benefits from this?
He went even further: if our own government cannot guarantee our security, Nigerians have every right to ask the international community for help. Saving lives must be the priority, not excuses, not silence.
That speech awakens many memories. Because when Obasanjo was in power, a few things were done: there were stabilization efforts, security operations and attempts at national unity. It may not be perfect, like any other government. But some things moved. He never negotiated with tourists, we never took nonsense from any of these bombers, the country was calm and he acted quickly.
I now see a different Nigeria: one where invisible hands seem to profit from the chaos. It's not just insecurity. There is talk of illegal mining, exploitation of mineral resources by foreign entities, smuggling and corruption, all under the surveillance of powerful people who benefit from it.
Some accuse parts of our elite – politicians, former generals, those once trusted – of allowing foreign interests to plunder our land. Illicit mining businesses that rob communities, destroy land and poison lives. These people want to drive everyone out of those areas and gain full control.
If criminals decide where rights are protected and when justice is meted out, Nigeria will continue to burn, not because of religion or tribe, but because of greed.
Thus, Obasanjo's appeal is more than a speech. You can hear the pain in his voice. If we do not demand true accountability, true protection:
- The blood of innocent citizens will continue to stain our soil.
- Our natural resources will continue to disappear, for the benefit of a greedy few.
- And the country we love will sink further into fear, turmoil and ruin.
If Nigeria ever had hope under leaders who sought to protect their people, then we must regain that hope now. We must demand responsibility. We must refuse to accept excuses.
He also said that Nigeria has the capacity to eliminate these people. Some Nigerian soldiers have said the same thing: that they have the tools to end this within 24 hours. But there is always an order from above telling them not to shoot or fight, even when these men continue to kill innocent people. Just this week they kidnapped more people; the most recent was yesterday. One of the worst cases was that of a pregnant woman and her husband; The kidnappers even made videos and shared them online, demanding money. These people openly share their locations, but nothing is done.
We have a decadent government. Our country has become a cemetery. Our leaders steal and steal; some never even use the money and some funds are never recovered at all. The level of greed among Nigerian leaders is so profound that it could destroy anyone who tries to study it. What is done with the stolen billions? How much can a person spend in their life? It's crazy. And then they use the people's money to oppress the same people they took it from.
Our politicians move with police protection, while the police, who should protect ordinary citizens, leave them exposed. We keep asking: why does a politician need police escorts? Why does even the president of a local government need armed protection? What deals are they hiding? What are they afraid of? The rot and greed run deep.
Nigerian Senate President Akpabio acts as if every news brought to him about Nigeria is new to him.
The late former President of Nigeria, Buhari, oversaw the murder of young Nigerians during the End the SARS movementand shortly after leaving office, he died of illness. All these leaders will meet their end one day. They played with the lives of the Nigerian people and history will not forget it.
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