Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has claimed that his boss and ex Nigeria’s President, Olusegun Obasanjo, resolved Boko Haram’s early activities when the group first emerged in 2002.

Atiku who served as vice-president from 1999 to 2007 under Obasanjo made the claim in Abuja while addressing stakeholders from Kogi.

According to Atiku, Obasanjo consulted him on how to respond to the insurgency, which began in Yobe State.

He said the ex-president summoned the Service Chiefs and gave them a deadline to quell the insurgency.

“I have taken note of some of the issues you have raised. I am bewildered by this issue of security. There have been a number of debates about the cause of this insecurity,” he said.

“Some people argue that it is being promoted from within; others say from outside. But what I can testify to is that there is a very, very unserious attitude by our government.

“You remember when Boko Haram started? It was actually in 2002. We were in office, and the president sent for me. It started in Yobe, actually.

“And I said, ‘Mr President, let’s call the service chiefs and give them a deadline. If they cannot put it down, then they should put down their uniforms and go away.

“He called the service chiefs—I was there—and gave them marching orders. Within a few weeks, they put down the insurgency in Yobe. It never came up again till we left office.”

Atiku further accused successive leaders of failing to act decisively since Obasanjo left office.

“There’s a lack of political will on the leaders. When they’re killing your citizens, how can you even eat? They’re killing your citizens and you don’t give a damn; that is the greatest irresponsibility by any political leader, anywhere,” he said.