Nigeria, Nov. 29 -- Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has issued one of his strongest public criticisms yet of Nigeria's handling of insecurity, warning that persistent state failure to protect citizens now justifies international intervention.

Speaking on Friday at the Plateau State Unity Christmas Carols in Jos, Mr Obasanjo said the scale and persistence of killings, kidnappings, and attacks across the country show that Nigeria's security architecture is no longer capable of confronting the threats it faces.

"Insecurity has been with us for years, but what we have witnessed since the Chibok girls' kidnapping is a continuous decline, from bad to worse," he said.

"The primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives...