Jos, Plateau State – November 29, 2025 – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued a blistering ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding an immediate and decisive crackdown on bandits terrorising the country. Speaking on Friday, he warned that if the Nigerian government continues to fail in protecting citizens from mass killings and abductions, Nigerians have the legitimate right to seek help from the international community.
The 88-year-old elder statesman made the remarks during his keynote address at the second edition of the Plateau Unity Christmas Carols and Praise Festival, held at the Ten Commandments Prayer Altar in Dwei-Du, Jos South Local Government Area. The three-day event, organised by the Plateau State Government under Governor Caleb Mutfwang, drew thousands of worshippers, including former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and several serving ministers.
Obasanjo did not hold back in his condemnation of the current security situation. Describing the relentless killings as “nonsensical,” he declared:
“We are part of the world community. If our government cannot do it, we have the right to call on the international community to do for us what our government cannot do for us. If we are being killed, it is the responsibility of the government to do something about it.”
He insisted that no Nigerian lives — whether Christian, Muslim, or traditionalist — are sacred and must be protected without compromise. “We should ask the government to do what it has to do at all levels. We should ask our leaders to do what they have to do in all walks of life,” he said.
The former president expressed deep frustration over the government’s apparent inability or unwillingness to deploy modern technology to track and neutralise criminals. He pointed out that in today’s world, no bandit or terrorist can truly hide from justice.
“In these days of technology, there should be nobody hiding anywhere after he has committed a crime that cannot be seen with present-day satellite,” Obasanjo stated. He contrasted the current era with his own presidency (1999–2007), noting that even then, intelligence agencies could locate criminals across Nigeria. The only limitation at the time was the lack of capacity to extract or eliminate targets without large-scale ground or air operations.
“Now we have drones,” he emphasised. “You can take them out. Why are we not doing that?”
Obasanjo reserved his sharpest criticism for the practice of negotiating with bandits and paying ransoms — a policy that has repeatedly been linked to the escalation of kidnappings for ransom across northern and central Nigeria.
“Why are we negotiating? And after the government has paid these criminals, the government denies it!” he thundered, to loud applause from the audience. “We should appeal to our government to do what needs to be done to stop Nigerians from being killed. We are tired of being killed.”
He stressed that the lives of all Nigerians matter equally, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and reiterated that the wanton destruction of lives must end immediately.
The timing of Obasanjo’s speech could not have been more poignant. Just days earlier, bandits stormed a rice farm in Kakuru, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting over 20 farmers, including pregnant women. Similar attacks occurred almost simultaneously in Kano and Kwara states, where dozens more were taken. These incidents are only the latest in a long string of violent assaults that have displaced millions, crippled agricultural production, and deepened the nation’s food insecurity crisis.
The Plateau Unity Christmas Festival itself is a direct response to years of bloodshed in the state. Since the deadly 2018 clashes and the horrific Christmas Eve massacre in 2023 that claimed over 100 lives, Governor Mutfwang has championed the annual event as a symbol of healing, reconciliation, and interfaith solidarity. Obasanjo praised the initiative as “divinely inspired” and urged Nigerians to unite in both prayer and action.
Political reactions have been swift. Civil society organisations and labour unions have described Obasanjo’s statement as a necessary wake-up call, with some threatening nationwide protests if the insecurity persists. Supporters of the Tinubu administration, however, have accused the former president of undermining national morale, pointing to recent military operations in Zamfara and the acquisition of new drone platforms as signs of progress.
Security analysts acknowledge that Nigeria has significantly expanded its drone fleet and surveillance capabilities in recent years, but operational bottlenecks, funding constraints, and alleged corruption in the defence sector continue to hamper effectiveness.
Obasanjo’s call for possible international intervention — though carefully framed as a last resort — marks one of his most forceful criticisms of the current administration to date. It evokes memories of global responses to crises in Libya, Mali, and Somalia, where foreign military assistance was eventually requested or imposed.
As carols filled the evening air in Jos and families gathered in prayer, the former president’s words hung heavily: Nigeria stands at a critical juncture. Citizens are exhausted by grief, fear, and loss. Faith remains strong, but so does the demand for accountability, competence, and decisive leadership.
“We will pray and continue to pray,” Obasanjo concluded, “but prayer without action is incomplete.”
For millions of Nigerians living under the constant shadow of violence, the question now is clear: Will the government finally act with the urgency the moment demands, or will history record yet another year of unfulfilled promises and preventable graves?
