*Says Boko Haram Once Chose Buhari As Negotiator
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated former President Muhammadu Buhari to represent them in peace talks with the Federal Government.
Jonathan made the disclosure on Friday at the public presentation of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.), in Abuja.
He explained that his administration had set up several committees to explore dialogue with the sect, and in one instance, the insurgents named Buhari as their preferred negotiator.
“One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government. So I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and have a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today,” Jonathan said.
The former president stressed that Buhari’s inability to eradicate Boko Haram showed that the crisis was more complex than often portrayed.
Jonathan recalled that Boko Haram began in 2009 while he was vice president and persisted throughout his five-year tenure as president. He said he had assumed Buhari would “wipe them out” after taking over in 2015, but the group remained active.
“The issue of Boko Haram is far more complex than it is often presented,” Jonathan emphasized. “It is not a matter of a single story. I believe, as a nation, we have to look at the Boko Haram issue differently from the conventional approach. I believe one day we’ll overcome it.”
He noted that his administration employed multiple strategies, from setting up committees to exploring dialogue, but none achieved lasting results. He urged the current government to adopt a carrot-and-stick approach, stressing that the sophisticated weapons used by Boko Haram suggested external support.
“If it was only about hunger—we tried different options—I believe we did our best during the five years I was in office. The government now must adopt a slightly different approach. Carrots and sticks may be needed. But when you look at the weapons they use, sometimes they even had more ammunition than our soldiers. That shows external hands were involved,” he said.
Jonathan described the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 as a permanent scar on his administration, adding that he hoped some leaders of the insurgent group would one day document their own accounts, much like actors in the Nigerian Civil War.
“It is a scar I will die with,” he said. “But perhaps later, more details may become known. I pray that one day, some of the Boko Haram leaders may be literate enough to document what they have done, so that people will truly understand what they wanted.”
Drawing a comparison with his peace efforts in the Niger Delta, Jonathan recalled personally visiting militant camps without armed escorts as Vice President to build trust and achieve lasting peace.
“In the Niger Delta, I met the militants in their camps. We succeeded not only because of military action but because we engaged them, listened to them, and created opportunities for their communities. That approach worked. But Boko Haram is different and must be tackled through a holistic strategy that blends security operations with governance, poverty reduction, youth empowerment, and social justice,” he said.
He praised Gen. Irabor for documenting his experiences, noting that the book would help enrich Nigeria’s understanding of insurgency and guide future leaders in shaping effective responses.
“Those who were directly involved must tell their stories. This book will help the nation understand what really happened, what lessons we must learn, and how we can do better in the future,” Jonathan added.
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