When Elders Forget Their Own Footprints, A Nation Suffers the Burden of Selective Amnesia

By Hon Victor Okebunmi

The noise of yesterday’s leaders vs the strategy of today’s government captures the moment perfectly, for Obasanjo’s shameless outburst, coming from the very man under whose watch boko haram was born, proves that he cannot lecture Nigeria on security, and exposes the deep hypocrisy of Obasanjo when weighed against the complex realities of Nigeria’s ongoing security war.

There is a proverb that says, “When an elder forgets the path to wisdom, the entire village walks in circles.” It is a sobering indictment of those who should lead with maturity and depth but instead choose to weaponise their influence for noise rather than nation-building.

It is a tragedy when elders who should know better abandon wisdom for theatrics, and this is precisely the misfortune Nigeria now witnesses in the careless outburst recently delivered by former President Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, an outburst that neither reflects the truth nor contributes meaningfully to the security debate.

Obasanjo’s comments were not only reckless but also profoundly uninformed. When the former President declared, “We now have capacity! We have drones, you can take them out!!! Why are we not doing that??!! Why are we apologising??!!! Why are we negotiating??!!” he was engaging in a dangerous performance that oversimplifies a deeply complex security situation.

Such emotional tirades are unbecoming of a statesman, especially one whose own record in security management remains blemished by avoidable lapses, ignored warnings, and the careless indulgence of extremist elements who later blossomed into full-blown terror networks. Emotional grandstanding is not leadership. It does not solve problems. And it certainly does not rewrite history.

Terrorism in Nigeria began under Obasanjo’s watch, a truth he conveniently avoids. Boko Haram did not appear yesterday. It was founded in 2002, during his presidency, and by the end of his tenure in 2007, the sect had already entrenched itself with camps, indoctrination networks, and radical religious schools in northern Nigeria. The group was ignored, dismissed, and underestimated. The tumour was allowed to grow.

By the time Obasanjo left office, Boko Haram was no longer a fringe religious movement; it was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. For a man who failed to detect the early signals, failed to apply preventive intelligence, and failed to dismantle a growing threat before it gained momentum, it is ironic, almost tragic, that he now lectures a government confronting the consequences of his era’s negligence.

The approach of *President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR* is grounded in facts and strategic planning, including the declaration of a national security emergency, which has provided the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement with unprecedented operational flexibility.

This framework has enabled rapid responses, improved coordination, and the deployment of tactical resources, demonstrating a clear, practical strategy that counters doubts about current security efforts.

President Tinubu’s declaration introduced a sweeping set of decisive security measures, beginning with the proclamation of a nationwide security emergency and an immediate order to expand recruitment into the Armed Forces.

The police and army were authorised to recruit additional personnel, with the police alone directed to add 20,000 new officers, bringing their total recruitment to 50,000, and to temporarily convert NYSC camps into training centres.

Officers withdrawn from VIP guard duties were ordered into crash retraining for rapid deployment to high-risk areas. At the same time, the DSS was instructed to immediately deploy all trained forest guards and recruit additional personnel to secure forests and eliminate terrorist hideouts.

The President further mandated a major increase in boots on the ground in security-challenged zones, reaffirmed federal support for state-level security outfits, and called on the National Assembly to initiate the legal framework for states that wish to establish state police.

He also advised states to avoid locating boarding schools in remote areas without adequate security, urged religious institutions in vulnerable regions to seek security protection, and reinforced the mandate of the new Livestock Ministry to end farmer–herder conflicts through ranching and the surrender of illegal weapons.

These steps are designed to strengthen our security and protect all citizens, reaffirming the government’s commitment to your safety.

Modernisation of military assets is another pillar of the current administration’s strategy. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has expanded drone procurement, boosted aerial surveillance capabilities, reinforced ISR platforms, and strengthened inter-agency intelligence sharing.

There is now a tighter link between the NSA’s office, the DSS, the military, special forces, and police tactical units. Joint operations have improved, and the results show.

These are concrete actions, not vague speeches, not retired nostalgia, not the hollow assertiveness of statesmen who speak loudly but act little.

*Malam Nuhu Ribadu* has provided the facts Obasanjo chose to ignore. The National Security Adviser has repeatedly outlined the progress made since May 2023: hundreds of terrorists have been neutralised across Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau, Taraba, and parts of the North-East; more than 4,600 hostages have been rescued under Tinubu’s tenure, an unprecedented achievement in recent years; dozens of coordinated attacks have been foiled through enhanced intelligence; and several high-value terrorist commanders have been taken out through precision strikes.

These achievements are the product of strategy, coordination, and the disciplined application of force, not careless chest-beating from a podium.

The false dichotomy of “use drones or you are weak” is dangerous and uninformed. Obasanjo’s sweeping statement, “we now have drones, so take them out,” reveals an embarrassing misunderstanding of global hostage-rescue and counterterror doctrine. Security operations are not Hollywood movies. Not all terrorists can be bombed.

Not every forest enclave can be flattened without killing innocent captives. Not every situation requires brute force.

As Dr Sunday Dare, CON, the spokesperson to the President, rightfully explained, “every responsible government knows when to apply force and when to deploy stealth.

Hostage extraction, by global security standards, is not a one-mode operation. There are moments when overwhelming firepower is required, and moments where restraint, measured, quiet and strategic, ensures that captives return home alive. Saving lives is not a weakness. It is a duty, and it was fulfilled.” That is statesmanship. That is wisdom. That is leadership.

The gallant men on the frontlines deserve respect, not mockery from elder statesmen seeking relevance. Our soldiers, air officers, special forces operatives, police units, and intelligence professionals are risking their lives daily.

They operate in hostile terrain, confront well-funded criminal networks, and prioritise national security over personal safety. These are the real heroes, not those who speak from a distance, insulated from risk, and unaware of modern security protocols.

Nigerians see the tangible results, safer highways, disrupted supply chains, and shrinking enclaves, and understand that despite ongoing challenges, the Renewed Hope administration’s disciplined approach is steadily turning the tide against insecurity.

Aside from taking timely and decisive security actions, President Tinubu has demonstrated a broader commitment to national transformation.

As affirmed by renowned Nigerian diaspora leader Prince Ade Omole at the Renewed Hope Global Summit in Dubai last weekend, “under President Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria has moved from promises to policies, from policies to progress, and from progress to prosperity.”

Security is definitely paramount, but the administration is also renewing Nigerians’ hope across every critical sector, ensuring that governance delivers tangible results on multiple fronts.

Leadership demands memory and responsibility, not hypocrisy or grandstanding, to build trust and respect among Nigerians and policymakers alike. Renewed Hope is not a slogan; it is a strategy, and it is working.

President Tinubu’s administration is applying the right tools, at the right time, with the right doctrine. The nation is seeing progress, measured, strategic, and grounded in modern security principles.

Our gallant forces continue to demonstrate courage. Our institutions continue to strengthen. And Nigerians continue to show resilience, faith, and unity.

Despite the noise from those who should know better, Nigeria marches forward, steadily, deliberately, and confidently. The path may be challenging, but the direction is right. And with discipline, strategy, and national unity, NIGERIA WILL PREVAIL.