This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has sounded the alarm on a potential genocide in Nigeria, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to convene a national forum to address the country's escalating insecurity.
Obasanjo, who served as President from 1976 to 1979 and again from 1999 to 2007, expressed his concerns in an open letter to Buhari dated July 15, 2019.
"Enough is enough. We are on the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point," Obasanjo wrote, warning that the insecurity could spark a genocide similar to the one in Rwanda 25 years ago.
Obasanjo's letter comes in the wake of the killing of Funke Olakunri, the daughter of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, who leads the Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere. Security operatives have arrested some individuals in connection with the murder, but details remain unclear.
Obasanjo, who hails from the south-west of the country, has been a vocal critic of Buhari's handling of the security situation. He opposed Buhari's candidacy in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
"I am addressing here the very serious issue of life and death which can no longer be ignored, treated with nonchalance, swept under the carpet or treated with cuddling gloves," Obasanjo wrote.
He accused Buhari of treating conflicts between herdsmen and farmers with "cuddling gloves," and warned that the insecurity was "hitting at the foundation of our existence" and "fast eroding the root of our Nigerian community".
Obasanjo proposed a reconciliation forum where grievances by the Fulani's and other communities are openly aired and legitimate ones addressed.
"The main issue is poor management or mismanagement of diversity. A very onerous cloud is gathering. And the rain of destruction, violence, disaster and disunity can only be the outcome," he warned.
