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Tag: amnesty

  • Amnesty: Lanlehin, cleric urge Boko Haram to ceasefire

    SENATOR Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South) and the Bishop of Ibadan Anglican Communion, Archbishop Joseph Akinfenwa, have appealed to members of the Boko Haram sect to ceasefire before the proposed amnesty by the Federal Government takes off.

    They said there would be no meaningful dialogue as long as the sect continues to carry out terrorist attacks.

    They spoke at the 3rd session of the 20th synod of the Anglican diocese, held at All Souls Church, Bodija Ibadan yesterday.

    Lanlehin advised the Amnesty Committee of the Federal Government to insist Boko Haram members lay down arms before meaningful negotiation takes place.

    According to him: “If there is going to be an amnesty at all, they should first of all ceasefire from both sides.

    “That is when the Armed Forces can arrest miscreants and armed robbers taking advantage of the situation to perpetuate their evil acts”.

    He urged Boko Haram members to state their grievances, stressing plans to Islamise Nigeria will never work.

    Akinfenwa appealed to them to come out of hiding for dialogue to commence.

    The cleric stated: “We appeal to them to lay down their arms and then come out. There is nothing that has no solution.

    “Until you know who is fighting you that is the only time you can have a meaningful discussion with him.”

  • Northern leaders call for Amnesty Commission

    Northern leaders are pushing for a legal backing to the granting of amnesty to aggrieved individuals who have taken up arms against the state in form of the establishment of an Amnesty Commission backed by law.

    The northern leaders have written to President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to set up such a commission which they said will be empowered to work out the process of granting amnesty in the country.
    Former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof Ango Abdullahi told the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna that they have asked the government to establish an Amnesty Commission which will have the backing of law and operate independently in granting amnesty to members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.
    He said that when the commission is established, men of integrity and honesty should be appointed into the Commission, adding that doing so will ensure that the desired objectives of granting amnesty to members of the sect members will be achieved.
    He said “we went with this advice in writing. Our thinking was that if the government felt it would be granting amnesty just like that, then there should be an authoritative body whose responsibility will be to set up how this amnesty will be granted, and also those affected will not be afraid to come out.
    “That was the reason we said so. We did not even asked for the setting up of a committee. We suggested for the establishment of an amnesty commission, a commission is different from a committee but I hope it is a step that will lead to the commission.
    “If a commission is established by law, it is independent and with honest individuals appointed to lead it, they will set up the process through which the desired objectives would be achieved,” he said.
    The former Presidential Adviser on Food Security however decline to comment on whether the northern elders pressured President Jonathan into granting amnesty to members of the sect, saying “I can’t say that, but perhaps those who were against it before realized that force cannot solve the problem.
    “Guns will not solve the problem, if all prisons will be full with those suspected, it won’t solve the problem. The only solution is to go back to the people, let them speak out their problems and grievances on the nation’s state of affairs. That’s how we can get a clue to the problem.”

     

    ENDS
  • Shema commends Jonathan over amnesty for Boko Haram

    Shema commends Jonathan over amnesty for Boko Haram

    Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State on Friday in Abuja saluted President Goodluck Jonathan’s courage in his current efforts to curb Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

    Shema, who was fielding questions from State House correspondents, urged all those aggrieved to lay down their arms and come forward in order to resolve the crisis.

    He commended the Federal Government for setting up a committee to look into requests for amnesty for members of the sect.

    “Many Nigerians, particularly leaders from the northern part of the country are yearning for a quick resolution of the crisis.

    “President Jonathan has responded positively to the requests for amnesty for members of the sect being advocated for by some leaders in the country in order to ensure peace, progress and development in all parts of the country.

    “My advice is that there is no nation that can progress without peace and stability. We need peace and all hands must be on deck.

    “Those who are aggrieved for one reason or the other should come forward and be able to resolve this crisis, such that our nation and our people can progress and develop rapidly,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the governor as saying to journalists.

    He said that he was of the belief that if a security committee was set up in good faith, it would be for the good of Nigeria and for the resolution to the crisis.

    “If a committee on amnesty is set up, it will be because Nigerians and leaders from the northern part of the country are yearning for a quick resolution to the matter.

    “And the President is responding positively to this request so that our nation can go on in peace, progress and development’’ Shema said.

    He also commended the efforts of the Northern Governors’ Forum in addressing the crisis, noting that the forum had set up a special committee on peace, healing and reconciliation.

    According to the governor, the committee has been working very hard and it will soon submit its second report to the forum for deliberation.

     

  • Amnesty likely for Boko Haram in two weeks

    Amnesty likely for Boko Haram in two weeks

    A Major development occurred yesterday in the amnesty-for-Boko Haram controversy.

    A National Security Council committee was set up to consider the various requests for amnesty for the fundamentalist sect whose activities have cost the nation so much in lives and property.

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, and many Northern elders have pushed for amnesty for the group. Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu also advocated amnesty – with justice – for the group, saying those with blood on their hands should face the law.

    But the Federal Government insists it cannot grant amnesty to ghosts, saying Boko Haram leaders should remove their masks and come out into the open.

    A source, who does not want his name in print because he is not authorised to speak on the issue, said that the government set up the committee during a meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and security chiefs.

    According to him, the committee, whose members were not disclosed, have two weeks to recommend to the government the feasibility of granting or not granting the amnesty and what the modalities should be – if it must be granted.

    The committee, the source said, is to work directly with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). Its report is to be submitted to the President when the Security Council meets in two weeks time.

    The source said: “What was discussed was the issue of Boko Haram because so many groups are now calling for amnesty for Boko Haram. In response to the clamour, the government must show that it is listening to the people.”

    “This security council meeting was called on the issue. A committee has been set up to report back in two weeks. It is to consider all the requests, the feasibility and recommend modalities for granting the amnesty.

    “The committee will work hand in hand with the NSA. The Security Council will meet in two weeks to consider the recommendations of the committee.”

    “The President, when he visited Yobe and Borno, did not say government will not grant amnesty. What he demanded is that those members of Boko Haram should come forward, if they are interested in any deal. The issue of Boko Haram is very complex and also the issue of amnesty.”

    At the end of the meeting, the security chiefs declined comments on their discussion.

    At the meeting, which started around 12 noon, were Minister of Interior Abba Moro and Minister of State for Defence Olusola Obada.

    The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim were also at the meeting.

    Among the security chiefs at the meeting were the National Security Adviser (NSA), Lt.-Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the Director General of State Security Service (SSS) and the NIA boss.

    Also at the meeting was Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-Gen. Sani Audu, Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba.

    The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, also attended the meeting.

    Parrying questions from State House correspondents, Admiral Ibrahim said: “Nigerians can now sleep with their eyes completely closed.”

    Abubakar said: “The meeting is still on. NSA will come and brief you.”

    But speaking on the matter at the end of the meeting, one of the ministers said that the meeting was to ameliorate the insecurity situation in the country.

    She said: “The meeting is just on what we can do with the spate of insecurity, to ensure that it is brought to absolute minimum.”

    On whether amnesty for Boko Haram members was discussed, she said: “Some issues to ameliorate the situation were discussed.”

    According to Section 1 of the Third Schedule to 1999 Constitution, members of the Security Council are the President, the Vice-President, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Minister of Interior, Minister of Defence, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police and “such other persons the President may in his discretion appoint.

    “The council shall have power to advise the President on matters relating to public security, including matters relating to any organisation or agency established by law for ensuring the security of the Federation.”

  • Boko Haram: Northern elders insist on amnesty

    Boko Haram: Northern elders insist on amnesty

    The Northern Elders’ Forum has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to consider amnesty for insurgent groups in the Northern region, in his programmes to overcome security challenges in the country.

    The forum made its position known on Wednesday at a closed-door late night meeting held with the President at the State House.

    The 25-member Northern Elders’ Forum was led by the former Nigeria representative to the UN, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama-Sule.

    Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, the spokesperson for the Forum and former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said that the meeting centred mainly on national security.

    “The contention here is that the country is facing challenges and am sure you will agree that there are challenges in the country, particularly in the area of security.

    “That is the greatest challenge the country is facing today and we spent a lot of times discussing the various issues on security matters.

    “On amnesty, what we discussed is that the general opinion in the country is that amnesty should be factored in to whatever the government is trying to do to overcome the violence that is taking place all over the country and, particularly, in most parts of the North.

    “Fortunately, the president is already thinking hard on it and he assured us that there is a special meeting on the matter tomorrow and am sure that something substantial will come out of that meeting,” he said.

    Abdullahi said that they were at the Presidential Villa as a follow-up to an earlier visit last year where a memorandum was submitted to the president on matters of the nation by the Forum.

    He said that the president, after studying the memorandum, invited members of the group for further deliberations on issues raised in the submission.

    Also, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, confirmed that the group called for amnesty for insurgent groups.

    “The issue of security also came up and the Northern Elders’ Forum brought the position that they believe government should consider amnesty for the insurgents in the Northern part of the country.

    “They believe that it is the position the most northern elders presently hold to enable them to exercise some influence in the process of achieving peace in the northern part of the country.

    “The president said that government has never said that there will be no amnesty but that there must be a process and structure if amnesty is to succeed.

    “Again, we discussed extensively on the amnesty that took place in the Niger Delta which attracted extensive discussions and the platforms that were set up to discuss with the militants.

    “In the case of the North, amnesty cannot be granted in a vacuum.

    “There must be a process, there must be a structure and there must be a way of holding everyone to account in terms of the amnesty process if amnesty is eventually considered.

    “The president said that no one has ever said that there will not be amnesty but there must be certain conditions for amnesty to be useful in the process of using it as a mechanism for achieving peace as it relates to the Boko Haram insurgence.

    “The president further said that he is indeed engaged in extensive consultations with quite a number of key leaders in relation to the issue of amnesty and that further consultations are going on within the week to take a look at it and see how feasible could it be,” Maku said.

    He said the president also briefed the forum on what government had been doing to stabilise the situation in the North and to promote infrastructure development and agriculture.

    The minister said the forum was informed of efforts of government toward promoting education in the North, particularly through the construction of more than 100 Almajiri schools to increase access to education by more than 9.5 million children on the streets.

    He said the president also spoke about the nine out of 12 Federal Government-owned universities established in the North.

    “There was also extensive discussion about what is going on particularly in terms of girl-child education which the Federal Government is promoting again to support access to quality education in Northern Nigeria.

    “We also took time to explain the various infrastructural projects in the North.

    “We explained to the forum that most of the road dualisation projects that the government is presently implementing are located in the North.

    “We also explained to them the various dam projects going on in the North, agriculture and irrigation for farming,” he said.

    Maku said that the elders complained that they wanted lake Chad to be restored to its former status and the president explained the efforts of government to achieve that.

    Specifically, he said that the Federal Government together with the Lake Chad Basin Commission had agreed to bring water from Central Africa Republic down to Lake Chad.

    The minister said that the meeting also discussed the allegation about marginalisation of the North in the civil service, particularly in the directors’ cadre.

    He said that the new Head of Civil Service of the Federation presented a report which allayed the fear of the elders and assured virtual parity between the North and South in the Civil Service.

    Other members of the forum at the meeting were, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Mrs Pauline Tallen, Alhaji kali Gazali, Dr Safiya Mohammed, Mr Solomon Dalong and Sheikh Ahmed Lemu.

    Also in the meeting were Alhaji Shehu Malami, Sen John Wash Pam, Alhaji Bello Kirfi, retired Maj.-Gen. Paul Tarfa, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Dr Paul Unongo and retired AVM Allamin Daggash.

    Alhaji Sanni Daura, Alhaji Yahaya Kwande, Alhaji Sale Hassan, Alhaji Bashir Yusuf, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Prof Idris Mohammed, retired Capt. Paul Tahal and retired Capt Bashir Sodangi were also part of the delegation.

  • Boko Haram: Amnesty not first option, says Maku

    Boko Haram: Amnesty not first option, says Maku

    Proponents of amnesty for Boko Haram insurgents heard yesterday that the Federal Government would not jump at the offer.

    Promoters of the offer feel it will douse tension in the North and end the sect’s insurgency.

    But the government has ruled out amnesty as the first option to rein in the fundamentalists targeting to Islamise the North.

    Information Minister Labaran Maku, who announced government’s stand, said amnesty could only come after members of the sect may have pulled off their veil to engage the government in talks.

    “It can only come up in the process of discussion,” Maku said, wondering how any responsible government could announce amnesty to an evasive group.

    The minister noted that the ceasefire agreement entered with the group by the Borno State government has collapsed as the group struck a few hours after the truce was brokered.

    According to him, there has been no credible discussion with the group in the last one year. “We have not seen anybody come up to say that he can negotiate for the group, Maku said.”

    Reacting to the call by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III and other Nigerians, for amnesty and dialogue with the group, Maku said though the Sultan’s call was done in good faith, amnesty cannot be the first option.

    But the minister said the government has not foreclosed negotiation with the sect.

    “Right now, the condition for amnesty is not there. Government is not dealing with a group that is secretive. There is no clear one person who can speak on behalf of the group,” he said.

    He, however, did not rule out the possibilities of some individuals talking to the group, but insisted: “It will be too early to say that there is credible conversation” between government and the group.

    According to the minister, the government will continue to look forward to the day when formal discussion with the group will begin.

    “But the condition for amnesty is not there,” he added.

    He also claimed that the security situation in the North is not overwhelming, adding that the security agencies have succeeded in their strategy to contain the group.

    The minister urged Nigerians to offer useful information to aid the efforts of security operatives to end the insurgency.

    Justifying the amnesty granted to militants to end the unrest in the Niger Delta, Maku recalled how Southsouth leaders, including governors, came out to the negotiating table with the militants, a development he attributed to the sustenance of peace in the oil-rich region.

    He insisted that without the support and cooperation of the people, the unrest situation in the North will fester.

    On the failure of the government to end Boko Haram’s activities by the middle of last year as promised by the President Goodluck Jonatahn, Maku said a lot of success had been recorded.

    The minister who disagreed that corruption was fueling the insurgency, however, admitted that governance in some of the affected states may not be ruled out.

    To Maku, it will be totally wrong to blame Boko Haram on corruption because, in his view, terrorism is a global phenomenon.

    The minister lashed out at some politicians, who he accused of speaking on issues of national security without any sense of responsibility and patriotism.

     

     

  • FG woun’t be cajoled into granting amnesty to Boko Haram-Maku

    FG woun’t be cajoled into granting amnesty to Boko Haram-Maku

    The Federal Government has said that it would not be cajoled into entering into announcing amnesty to the fundamentalist militant group, Boko Haram.
    It insisted that amnesty would not be the first option in the line of action towards seeking an end to the activities of the group.
    According to the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku the issue of amnesty would only cone up after the sect might have open up discussion line  with government.
    “It can only come up in the process of discussion,”  he said noting that it would be difficult to grant  amnesty to a group that is still evasive.
    He cited the case of Borno state government which has announced a sort of ceasefire agreement entered with the group only for the group to strike few hours latter.
    He also denied any form of credible discussion with the group noting that in the last one year, ” we have not seen anybody come up to say that they can negotiate with the group”.
    He also noted that  government has done everything possible to contain the sect.
    The minister while also reacting on the call by Sultan of Sokoto calling for amnesty and dialogue with the group, said though the Sultans call was done in good fate, but it cannot be he first option.
    He reiterated that government is open to discussion with the sect, but said right now the condition for amnesty is not there, stressing that government is dealing with a group that is secretive.
    Besides, the minister noted that there is no clear one person who can speak on behalf of the group.
    He did however not over rule the possibilities of some individuals talking to the group, but insisted that, “it will be too early to say that there are credible conversation” between government and the group.
    The minister assured that government will continue to look forward to the day when  formal discussion with the group will commence, stressing  “but the condition for amnesty is not there.”
    He also claimed that the security situation in the northern part of the country is not overwhelming, stressing that the security agencies have succeeded in their strategy to contain the group, adding that what is required is the participation of the people.
    Citing the case of Niger Delta crisis, he said people came out and discussed with the militants, including the governors which explained the success recorded in the area.
    He insisted that without the support and cooperation of the people, the situation in the north will fester.
    On the failure of government ending the activities of the sect by middle of last year as promised by the president, Maku said a lot of success has been made since the president gave the assurance.
    The minister who also down played the role of corruption in the whole scenario, however admitted that issues of governance in some of the states affected may not be ruled out, but insisted that it will be totally wrong to blame corruption for the activities of Boko Haram, saying that terrorism is a global phenomenon.
    The minister also lampooned some politicians who accused of speaking on issues of national security without any sense of responsibility and patriotism.
    The minister who was apparently reacting to a statement credited to former Abia state governor, Orji Kalu that it was the government that were behind most of the bombing in the northern part of the country said, it was just unfortunate, adding that what the country, especially past leaders owe members of the security and their families are appreciations for their efforts at containing the activities of the sect.
    “the least we can say is to appreciate them (security agencies). For some one to come out to make such claim is so unfortunate and irresponsible.”
    Adding, ” there are people who we feel should guide their tongue. Government has maintained some maturity and expected patriotism.
    Once you have become a leader, there are things you cannot say.
    He also accused the media of reporting politicians and not governance and democracy.
    He explained that there are states that were making great progress yet they are not heard.

  • I support amnesty for Boko Haram with conditions, says Tinubu

    I support amnesty for Boko Haram with conditions, says Tinubu

    Action Congress of Nigeria National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said his support for amnesty for Boko Haram members is conditional.

    According to a statement by Tinubu Media Office, the former governor made the submission during a condolence visit to the Emir of Kano, HRH Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero and the Governor and People of Kano State over the bomb attacks that have rocked the ancient city of Kano

    He spoke to reporters at the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano while responding to a question on whether or not the government should grant amnesty to Boko Haram.

    The statement said: “Here is Governor Tinubu’s response.”I support the granting of amnesty to the sect but with some conditions which includes justice for those people with blood in their hands because it will go along way in discouraging such dastardly acts in future.

    “If you called Boko Haram ghosts, what of their members that were arrested and are in various prisons? These people are human beings and through them, their colleagues can be known and talked to…”

     

  • Niger Delta, Boko Haram amnesty

    If anything, the recent visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Borno and Yobe states has raised the propriety of amnesty for the Boko Haram religious sect to the vortex of public opinion. This renewed interest followed the outright rejection of that proposition by Jonathan as earlier canvassed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar and corroborated by Borno elders at a town hall meeting with the president.

    Jonathan had anchored his objection to amnesty on the ground that promoters of the sect are ghosts and it was inappropriate to grant amnesty to an under cover group. But many, including the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah had charged that Boko Haram was no longer faceless as they had been addressing press conferences and issuing statements. As if to give credence to this, the splinter group led by Sheikh Muhammed ibn Abdulaziz came up with a press statement repudiating the claim that they are ghosts.

    Abdulaziz could not understand why anybody should still take them as ghosts when they have been holding meetings with the Borno State government and a delegation of the northern governors’ forum. They also faulted a recent statement in which their overall leader Sheikh Shekau was said to have disowned their group. They claimed that those statements were not made by Shekau and that he was the one that promoted Abdulaziz to his current commanding position.

    But this claim goes with a credibility overhang given that Shekau is the only fit and proper person to enter a refutal if he is not a ghost himself. Abdulaziz cannot be speaking for himself and Shekau at the same time and wants to be taken seriously. If Shekau really exists and Abdulaziz has the kind of links he bandies with him, the minimum expectation would have been to get him corroborate or refute those claims. The inability to do that casts serious slur on his credibility and leaves us with no other choice but to believe that the voice we heard was that of Shekau. And this also puts to serious question the credibility of the ceasefire agreement he claimed to have entered into with the Borno State government. It is an uncanny irony that the effect of that ceasefire agreement is yet to be felt in Borno where he claims to be holding forth.

    Beyond these, is the rational for according Boko Haram amnesty in the same fashion it was extended to the Niger Delta militants? Can we possible marry the two groups by way of solving both problems through a common approach? In other words, is amnesty the therapeutic response to Boko Haram insurgency in the same manner it was applied to militancy in the Niger Delta? What of the philosophical and ideological motivations of the two groups? Do they have things in common or prompted by disparate and contradictory desires or belief systems? There is also a territorial dimension to both agitations. These are the issues that will come handy in resolving the controversy arising from the prescription of amnesty as the necessary and sufficient condition for taming the Boko Haram insurgency.

    For one, there are marked differences both in ideological and philosophical motivations of the two groups. And as the spokesman for the presidency, Doyin Okupe pointed out Niger Delta militants were piqued by the despoliation of their environment by oil producing companies and wanted greater share in nature-endowed resources at their backyard. They wanted the oil companies and government to be more caring and responsive to the sensibilities of the oil bearing states. They took up arms quite alright. But their target was largely expatriates working for the oil companies whom they saw as oppressors. At any rate, agitations for fair share in resources accruing from oil by host communities is as old as the Nigerian nation. Curiously however, the government did not deem it fit to attend to the peculiar circumstances of oil bearing communities despite the stupendous wealth accruing from that resource and the squandering of same by sundry buccaneers masquerading as leaders.

    For another, the ideological motivation of Boko Haram is essentially faith-based. They want non Muslims in the north to leave; the president to convert from Christianity to Islamic religion and the conversion of the country to an Islamic state. Above all, they are abhorrent of anything that is western including education. It is ostensibly for these reasons they have unleashed mayhem unto the country leaving in its trail the killing of innocent souls through indiscriminate attacks on Christian places of worship.

    When therefore the Sultan and some northern leaders came up with the idea of amnesty, the first set of resentment to it came from Christians in the north that bear the brunt of these unprovoked and senseless attacks. They could not comprehend why criminals should be rewarded for the reckless destructions that have trailed their activities. They found it hard to understand why arrested criminals should be released in the name of dubious amnesty without accounting for their misdeeds.

    The fate of families sent to their early grave without justification was another issue that polluted the air at the mere suggestion of amnesty for the insurgents. And given our experience with amnesty for the Niger Delta militants, acceptance of such a proposal would see the government rehabilitating the insurgents in the same fashion it did to the militants. In effect, they will not only get away with the heinous crimes they committed but rewarded handsomely for their acts of lawlessness. To worsen matters, those proposing amnesty for the sect were amazingly silent on the fate of Christians in the north who suffered heavily from their acts of lawlessness. This fact went a long way to expose the hypocrisy in that prescription. It is not surprising therefore that the idea could not fly on account of inherent contradictions.

    There are contradictions in constructing parity between Boko Haram and Niger Delta militancy as they differ very substantially both in ideology and doctrinaire motivation. And whereas the demands of the militants could easily lend themselves to easy handle, that much cannot be said for Boko Haram.

    Granting them amnesty when they have not repudiated their ideological leitmotif is nothing but a recipe for anarchy. Moreover, Boko Haram has an international dimension. It has been linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic fundamentalists in the Maghreb. Their escapades extend beyond the shores of this country as shown by their taking into captivity of a French family in Cameroon in protest against Nigeria’s participation in Mali. We are also privy to how a faction of the sect killed some Nigerian soldiers preparing for the Mali assignment. The sect is not only concerned with events in this country but outside of it. There is no guarantee that issues concerning their associates outside our shores, will not provide the ground for them to strike again. So it is not only a Nigerian but global problem.

    Being an arm of an international terror group, amnesty as a solution to terrorism is bound to fail. There is for now, no record of that as a panacea for taming the global phenomenon. Insisting on amnesty for the sect also conveys the impression that there may be more to their activities than ordinarily meets the eyes. The impression is festering that the whole idea is to get the government commit its resources to rehabilitating insurgents and sundry criminals the same way militants were treated.

    But the challenges facing amnesty in Niger Delta even questions the propriety of that exercise again. Today, it has become a platform for sundry characters and criminals to make dubious financial claims on the government. The situation is bound to worsen if Boko Haram is accorded that undeserving treatment. Then, the gesture would have emboldened criminals and evil minded groups to take up arms against the government.

  • Boko Haram: Don’t listen to amnesty plea, group tells Jonathan

    A group known as Forum Against Impunity (FAI) has advised President Goodluck Jonathan not to listen to anybody that calls for amnesty to Boko Haram group.

    It said, if amnesty is granted to Boko Haram, then the highest national honours should be awarded to all criminals, convicted or still at large, including kidnappers, armed robbers, rapists, treasury looters, murderers, pipeline vandals, etc.

    President of the group, Chukwuemeka Onyesoh, who made the petition available to reporters yesterday in Awka, said Boko-Haram members are fundamentalist militants.

    According to him, “Boko-Haram challenge in Nigeria is, therefore, not a terrorism challenge; it is an ideology, a very compelling of ideas that cause individuals to devote their lives, sometimes to give up their lives for this dream of how society can be ordered.”

    He added: “Mr. President, granting total amnesty to Boko-Haram is equivalent to conceding de facto presidency of Nigeria to militant Islamists whereas you remain in Aso Rock merely as de jure president. Nigeria did not elect you for abdication of duty,” Onyesoh wrote.