Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said Nigeria’s worsening insecurity can only be addressed through strong and decisive leadership.
He stressed that the issue should not be treated lightly.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Arise TV Prime Time, Atiku described security as a fundamental and highly sensitive matter.
He cautioned against discussing it without due seriousness.
“It is not a topic that you begin to discuss at this level. Security is a very fundamental and very sensitive issue,” he said
Reflecting on the early days of insurgency in the North-East, Atiku said the extremist group Boko Haram emerged in 2002 while he was in office, but was swiftly brought under control through coordinated leadership.
“Let me remind you, Boko Haram started in 2002 when we were in office. And the president and I met and decided that we would put it down decisively. And we did,” he said.
“By the time we left, there was no Boko Haram. Boko Haram was on the surface after we left.”
He, however, argued that tackling insecurity in Northern Nigeria requires more than regional efforts, noting that the challenge exceeds the capacity of the region alone.
“I think Northern Nigeria doesn’t have the capacity to do it. But it requires leadership,” he said.
