Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Thursday, bemoaned increasing number of the out-of-school children in Nigeria, describing them as potential Boko Haram recruits.
Obasanjo said this while addressing participants at the presidential youth mentorship retreat held at Youth Development Centre , Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He pointed out that with about 14 million out of school children roaming Nigerian streets, no one needs an oracle to know that those children would turn to Boko Haram recruits in the next ten years.
Obasanjo said the rate of the dropouts would expand insecurity in Nigeria.
He said “A situation today where we have 14 million children that should be in school that are not in school , does anybody need to be an oracle to tell that 10 years or 15 years from now, those will be where you will recruit pure Boko Haram.
“So, if you deal with Boko Haram by stick today in few years time the situation will be worst because we are talking about security, it will be worst. So, if we are talking of insecurity, where should we begin? If we are talking of poverty where should we begin? It is education.
” Somebody said if everybody is educated who will be a servant and I said if everybody is educated then we will get a better servant than you should have gotten from those that are not educated.”
