Insecurity: Nigerians entitled to seek help abroad if Govt. fails, says Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that citizens have every right to turn to the international community for protection when the Nigerian government is unable to guarantee their safety.
He made the remark on Thursday during the 2025 Plateau Unity Christmas Carol, held at the 10 Commandments Altar in Jos, where he was a special guest of the Plateau State Government.
Addressing thousands of worshippers, government functionaries and religious leaders, the former president expressed deep frustration over the country’s deteriorating security situation.
He insisted that neither apologies nor excuses were acceptable when lives continued to be lost daily.
According to Obasanjo, modern surveillance technology including drones and satellite systems makes it unacceptable for criminals to operate freely and vanish without consequence.
He questioned why authorities appear hesitant or slow to act decisively despite the tools available to them.
“If the government cannot secure us, Nigerians have the right to seek help beyond our borders,” he said.
He stressed that such a move should not attract criticism. “We should not be apologising when our people are being killed. The killings must end.”
Obasanjo lamented that the Federal Government, whose foremost responsibility is the protection of citizens, has consistently fallen short.
He recalled the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, noting that instead of improving since then, the security climate has worsened.
“From the Chibok kidnapping till now, things have moved from bad to worse,” he told the gathering.
“A government exists first to ensure the safety of its people, yet Nigerians are still dying needlessly.”
He cautioned against framing the ongoing violence in ethnic or religious terms, arguing that doing so trivialises the human cost.
He insisted that the deaths of Nigerians across all regions and faiths should be confronted with equal urgency.
“When Nigerians are being killed, it should not matter what religion they practise or where they come from.
“Anyone suggesting that one group’s suffering should be weighed against another’s is speaking nonsense, ” he said.
The Plateau Unity Christmas Carol, now in its second edition, featured prayers for healing, unity and peace in Plateau State and the nation at large.
The event drew a large crowd, including traditional rulers, security agencies and Christian leaders, all calling for reconciliation and a renewed commitment to ending violence.
