Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has linked the persistence of insurgency in Nigeria to a lack of political will, contrasting the current security approach with measures taken during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Atiku made the remarks in Abuja on Wednesday during a visit by stakeholders from Kogi East Senatorial District, led by former Kogi State Deputy Governor Simon Achuba. A video of his comments was posted on his official Facebook page.

He recounted how Boko Haram first emerged in Yobe State in 2002 while he served as Vice President. According to him, swift executive action at the time led to a temporary resolution of the crisis.

“You remember when the Boko Haram started in Yobe? It was actually in 2002. We were in office,” Atiku said. “The president sent for me. ‘VP, what do we do about this?’ Then I said, ‘Mr President, let’s call the Service Chiefs and give them a deadline. If they can’t put it down, then they should put down their uniform and go away. We will get some other people.’”

Atiku added that Obasanjo followed this advice. “He called the Service Chiefs, I was there, and gave them marching orders, and within a few weeks, they put down the insurgency in Yobe. It never came up again until we left office.”

Reflecting on the current state of security, Atiku pointed to what he described as a leadership gap. “So, I will say there’s a lack of political will on the leaders. When they’re killing your citizens, how can you even eat?”

“They’re killing your citizens and you don’t give a damn; that is the greatest irresponsibility by any political leader, anywhere,” he said.

His comments come amid ongoing security challenges in parts of the country, with stakeholders and analysts continuing to debate the effectiveness of government responses to insurgency and other threats.