Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity in Nigeria, warning that the situation has worsened significantly compared to his time in office. Speaking in Bauchi State on Sunday, where he inaugurated several road projects constructed by Governor Bala Mohammed, Obasanjo called for urgent action to address the escalating violence and criminal activity in parts of the country.
Obasanjo emphasized that insecurity has taken a more severe toll on Nigeria, particularly in rural areas, and stressed the need for decisive action. “The situation of insecurity in Nigeria today is so bad, unlike during our terms in office when we prioritized the security of lives and properties across the country,” he said. “We need to do something urgently about this.” He attributed the effectiveness of security measures during his administration to the practice of community policing, which he believes is essential in identifying and combating security threats.
At a meeting with the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman-Adamu, Obasanjo reiterated the importance of community policing. “The best form of security is community policing because everyone knows his/her neighbours within the community,” Obasanjo said. “With that, it is very easy to identify the bad eggs.” He added that community policing allows residents to be more proactive in reporting suspicious activities, creating a safer and more secure environment.
Obasanjo’s call for action came amid rising concerns about increasing violence in Nigeria, especially in regions plagued by banditry, kidnappings, and insurgency. He urged traditional rulers to take the lead in promoting community policing in their areas. “During our service to the nation, we did everything collectively, our decisions were taken together to have a uniform focus,” he said, calling on Nigerians to unite in addressing the country’s challenges. “We need peace, unity, and collective support in this country if we must move forward,” Obasanjo added.
In addition to discussing insecurity, the former president also highlighted his philanthropic efforts in the region. He announced the donation of hearing aids to 2,000 individuals in Bauchi, part of a broader initiative aimed at improving healthcare in the North-East. Obasanjo recounted his personal experience with hearing loss, revealing that he was diagnosed with partial deafness after being tested abroad. “After my result came out, I had to ask the man to also check on my Chief Security Officer then, but shockingly, he was more deaf than I was,” he said.
This experience, Obasanjo explained, led to the creation of the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, which has provided thousands of Nigerians with ear treatments and hearing aids. “We are going to distribute over 10,000 hearing aids to indigent people in the North-East, starting from Bauchi,” he revealed.
Governor Bala Mohammed, who welcomed Obasanjo to Bauchi, used the occasion to highlight his administration’s ongoing infrastructure development projects. The governor explained that the road projects inaugurated, including the dualization of key roads, were part of his broader vision for the state. “I instructed them to develop a road map for the project that will serve our people regardless of the outcome of the election,” Governor Mohammed said.
Mohammed highlighted that his government had constructed 116 road projects, totaling 1,482.25 kilometers across Bauchi State, which he believes are pivotal to the state’s development. “The roads we are commissioning today have significant milestones in our journey to build a new Bauchi,” he stated, referencing the construction of major roadways such as the 7km dualization of the Awala-Maiduguri road and the 17.7km dualization of Kano road to the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport.
