Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated former President Muhammadu Buhari to represent them in peace negotiations with the federal government during his administration’s efforts to explore dialogue as a non-combatant approach to ending the insurgency.
Jonathan made the revelation 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, General Lucky Irabor, held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
“One of the major scars on my government is the scar of the Chibok girls. It is a scar that will die with me,” Jonathan said. “I pray that, perhaps one day, the leaders of this group will be literate enough to write a book or come out to tell Nigerians what Boko Haram was all about.”
He explained that his administration, which battled the insurgency from 2010 to 2015, set up several committees to explore peaceful resolutions. It was in the course of one of such initiatives, he revealed, that the insurgents nominated Buhari to lead their negotiation team.
Jonathan expressed regret that the dialogue attempt never materialised, noting that he had hoped Buhari’s eventual rise to the presidency in 2015 might have paved the way for the group’s surrender. “But the insurgency still persisted,” he said.
The former president also recalled his involvement in the Niger Delta peace process as vice-president under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, stressing that Boko Haram posed a far more complex challenge. “If you conduct research and interview many people, you will only get part of the story, but never the full story of Boko Haram,” he remarked.
He urged the current administration to adopt a mix of incentives and pressure, saying: “The issue of carrots and the stick may be adopted. We tried different options during my time in office. I don’t want to sound like I’m defending my government, but I believe we did our best.”
Jonathan further questioned the source of Boko Haram’s sophisticated weapons, suggesting that external actors might be fueling the insurgency.
Representing President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Defence Mohammed Abubakar Badaru described Irabor’s book as “not only history; it provides guidance for the present and serves as a roadmap for the future.” He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to modernising the armed forces, boosting intelligence, and strengthening regional partnerships.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III; Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, who reviewed the book; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa; former National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; General Alexander Ogomudia (rtd); Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba (rtd); and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu.
