How I Met Boko Haram Founders and What They Told Me – Obasanjo

Ilesanmi AdekanbiJune 18, 2023

2 minutes read

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared his encounter with the founders of Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group that has terrorized the country for over a decade.

He revealed what they told him about their motivations and demands at the launch of a book written by his daughter, Dr. Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire, in Lagos.

Obasanjo said he met with the representatives of Boko Haram in the early days of their insurgency, when they were still led by Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed by security forces in 2009. He said he wanted to understand their grievances and find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

He said he discovered that the group was driven by poverty and unemployment, and that they wanted to live under Sharia law, which they believed was compatible with the Nigerian constitution. He said he also learned that many of them had no jobs despite having degrees.

Obasanjo said he told them that he sympathized with their plight, but that violence was not the answer. He said he urged them to embrace dialogue and democracy, and to work with the government to address their problems.

He lamented that Nigeria’s problem was not external, but internal. He said the country’s leaders had failed to provide good governance and leadership, and to care for the welfare of the people. He warned that if the country did not tackle its over 20 million out-of-school children, it would create more potential recruits for Boko Haram in the future.

“During the early days of Boko Haram, when the man who started the movement was said to have been killed, I said I wanted to meet with the members of the group to talk to them and know what they wanted.

“I met with their representatives and found out that they needed nothing but a better life for themselves. Can we blame them for wanting a better life for themselves?

“They said they believed in Sharia Law. I told them that Sharia was not a problem in Nigeria. It is part of our constitution.”

“Do we blame them if after four years, they have no jobs? Are they not entitled to a livelihood? This boils down to one of the P’s of nation-building – politics – which talks about governance and leadership.

“If that (leadership) is not properly taken care of, every other thing will go haywire.”

He added, “We must ask, ‘What do we do with our people? How do we raise and value them? How do we value them?’

“We have over 20 million out-of-school children. Google how many countries in the world have less than 20m. That doesn’t worry us? Are you thinking there will be no Boko Haram tomorrow?

“Those are the foundations of your Boko Haram tomorrow. That should be our concern. We should not say it is externally induced. Is poverty also externally induced? Poverty is the conscious, unconscious choice of our leaders. If we say no; it would be no. If we say yes; it would be yes.”