Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that he believed late President Muhammadu Buhari would end the Boko Haram insurgency during his time in office.
Jonathan spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the public presentation of “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum”, a new book by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor.
He recalled that at the height of the insurgency, Boko Haram once nominated Buhari to represent them in peace talks with the Federal Government.
This, he said, made him optimistic that Buhari’s presidency would provide an easy path to dialogue and eventual disarmament.
“One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.
So, I felt that if they nominated Buhari to represent them, then when Buhari became president, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would surrender their weapons. But the crisis still persisted,” Jonathan said.
Jonathan noted that despite widespread expectations, Buhari was unable to completely defeat Boko Haram, highlighting the complexity of the insurgency.
“I thought that after I left, within a reasonable time, General Buhari would wipe them out. But even today, Boko Haram is still there. The issue is far more complex than it is often presented.”
The former president explained that his administration had set up several committees and tried multiple strategies to tackle the crisis, but none could fully resolve it.
He stressed that Boko Haram’s access to sophisticated weapons pointed to external involvement, beyond issues of poverty or hunger.
“If you look at the weapons they use, and you value them, you know these are not hungry people. Sometimes they even had more ammunition than our soldiers. Where are these sophisticated weapons coming from? External hands were involved.”
Jonathan also reflected on the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, describing it as an unforgettable mark on his legacy.
“It is a scar I will die with,” he admitted, expressing hope that insurgent leaders might one day document their motives, just as participants of the Nigerian Civil War later did.
Looking ahead, he urged the current administration to adopt a balanced carrot-and-stick approach combining dialogue with firm military action to end the insurgency that has lasted for more than a decade.