says blanket pardon for terrorists will trigger more terror
All not well with Northern Nigeria –Elders cry out
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), yesterday, advised the Federal Government to prosecute the so called repentant members of Boko Haram who have been surrendering in droves to security agencies in Borno State. The apex sociocultural and political organisation in Northern Nigeria also said that if the Federal Government has decided to set these terrorists free on account of their perceived repentance, the government should also extend the same gesture to members of the Yoruba Nation self-determination group and members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) who are in detention.
Chairman of the ACF, Chief Audu Ogbe, who made the position of the Forum known to newsmen in Kaduna, described thossurrendering to security operatives were the arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers, who have been terrorising communities in Borno and other states in the North East in the last 10 years. Ogbeh warned that granting them blanket freedom would trigger more insurrection and anarchy in the country.
We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of Boko Haram insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers. Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity? “Is ‘I am sorry’ enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of dead and maimed? What of those victims bombed in the churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them? “Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created? And what is the difference between them and the Ighoho’s or ESN of Nigeria? None! So what do we do with them? Should we just embrace them and trust them wholesale? Are their moves informed by altruistic repentance? We seriously doubt.
“We join the Governor of Borno, The Shehu of Borno, Senator Ndume and millions of Nigerians in pondering over this development and our simple advice is: ‘Bring them to trial, or free all others presently in custody anywhere’. While we Nigerians plead guilty of naivety and gullibility in the extreme, punishable by more insurrection and anarchy,” Ogbeh said. The ACF urged the Federal Government to apply the principles of equity and justice in handling the surrender of the terrorists in order to avoid creating more security challenges in the country.