Former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida says Nigeria can only overcome the security challenges confronting the country with the support of every Nigerian.
According to him, “stability operations” were carried out during independence and more importantly during the military regime to maintain peace in the nation.
The former military ruler reiterated that insecurity was not new in Nigeria but every Nigerian must play their own role to bring it to an end.
Speaking to Daily Trust, Babangida said, “It is a war that has to be won, but it must be won by all of us as a people.
“The efforts to get it stopped must be from every Nigerian, whether you are in the military, police or government.
“Every one of us has a role to play in finding solutions to these problems. But it is probably not new.
“In 1970, immediately after the war we had the highest cases of armed robbery in Nigeria, killings and so on, but the government came out very strongly and kept the situation at bay.”
Reacting to reports that Nigeria mostly speak ill of leaders when they die, Babangida said, “I think Nigerians are unique in this situation. It is the society. It is not easy to lead a fairly sophisticated society.
“I have always said, when I am talking to you, the media, that there are 200 million opinions on any subject in this country.
“So, whatever you introduced there would be 200 million other opinions about it because Nigerians are becoming more sophisticated.
“They try to argue and disagree on every issue. It is not a docile society; that is why it is always so.”
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