Obasanjo Reveals What Boko Haram Members Told Him 2011 |READ FULL
Afnews Editor
Feb 21, 2022
Former Nigeria's President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has recalled his private meeting with the deadly Boko Haram in 2011.
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The retired General warns that Nigeria must address the challenge of 15 million out-of-school children or face more problems in future.
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Obasanjo spoke virtually on Monday at the 2022 Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF) annual lecture.
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His speech was on the theme "Beyond Boko Haram: Addressing Insurgency, Banditry and Kidnapping across NigeriaÔÇØ.
Obasanjo, MMF Board of Trustees Chairman, noted that with Nigeria's population of 215 million, 15 million out-of-school kids pose a serious problem.
"I believe it is not too late to start and say to ourselves 'we do not want the Boko Haram of 2030 or 2035ÔÇ│, NAN quoted him saying.
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"But if we don't do anything about those 15 million out-of-school children, we are already in more trouble with Boko Haram of the future.
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"We, the society, must be willing to give them education and employment or they extract it from the society unwillingly,ÔÇØ Obasanjo noted.
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Obasanjo said during his trip to Maiduguri in 2011, Boko Haram said they were interested in Sharia and complained that their followers had no job.
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The sect leadership further narrated their efforts to earn legitimate income to help their followers.
The former leader said they decried how the government started chasing and gunning them down.
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"What I feared at that time seems to have been happening because in 2011, Boko Haram had not much of external connection.
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"My fear was: could we be able to get them away from Al-Qaeda and other international terror organizations? We seem not to have been able to do that.
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"Today, Boko Haram and those who have come to work with them are making the matter much worse than it was 11 years ago,ÔÇØ he asserted.
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— Afnews Editor