Several groups and personalities including the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pan Yoruba- Social Cultural Group, Afenifere yesterday blamed the Goodluck Jonathan-led foradministration for the poor handling of the amnesty offer.
This is coming as the former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, backed amnesty for the sect.
An audio recording released by the leader of the sect on Wednesday night, Abubakar Shekau, had strongly objected to any possible deal with Nigerian officials.
The development came after the Federal Government had mooted the idea of possibly setting up a committee to examine a deal to stop the violence that had killed hundreds over the last year.
The recording, first passed by intermediaries of Boko Haram to journalists in northern Nigeria, features the man talking about the possibility of an amnesty deal.
Shekau, speaking in Hausa, calls the amnesty deal “surprising.” “We are the one to grant them pardon. Have you forgotten their atrocities against us?” he said.
The leader of the sect later threatens the lives of anyone claiming to be a representative of Boko Haram saying the network wants to accept a peace deal.
The self-proclaimed Boko Haram leader said he could offer a ceasefire in Northeast Nigeria on behalf of the group in January, though the violence continued unstopped.
However, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the 19 Northern states and Abuja yesterday said the rejection of proposed amnesty by the Boko Haram Islamic sect has vindicated them.
CAN therefore called on President Jonathan not to be deceived by Northern elite that amnesty would end the insurgency, alleging that Northern elders and some religious leaders who clamoured for amnesty want to use street beggars as sect members to collect money from the Federal Government.
“We are once again telling President Jonathan to be wary of amnesty because some people want to make money from it. Mr President should not be controlled by some people who are broke and looking for means of survival, we told him before that amnesty should not be given to Boko Haram but some people went to the Presidential Villa and intimidated him to grant amnesty.”
The Secretary General of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake, also said the rejection of the amnesty confirmed CAN’s fears about the sincerity of the sect.
According to him, “CAN has said no to amnesty because you cannot give amnesty to people you don’t know. We are not concerned with Boko Haram rejecting amnesty, but the rejection further confirm CAN’s stand on the issue.
“Also the rejection is also an indication that the Northern leaders calling for amnesty have not done their home work well before canvassing amnesty.
“We say granting amnesty will be unfair to the victims, to the country and the hundreds of people who have been affected either directly or indirectly by the nefarious activities of the sect.”
The convener of Coalition of Concerned Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammad, blamed the government for not handling the issue very well.
He said: “Clearly, there was nothing like amnesty. I do understand the desperation among Nigerians as a result of the security situation and the economy being in tatters, but the government adopted a wrong approach by listening to the so-called Northern elders who speak for nobody; they are not speaking for the North.
“First, there was no credible offer, so one cannot speak of rejection. The government has raised the hopes of the people and with the rejection, unfortunately the situation will continue until sincere approach to tackle the crisis is adopted.
“Government should reach out to genuine people who have the contact with the Boko Haram. Then the sect members will submit the names of those they feel will participate in the dialogue, not this approach of constituting a committee made up of people who have no connection with the sect.”
In its own reaction, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), said it is too early to comment on the development, but said that amnesty is the best solution to the crisis.
“I think it is too early for any reactions, precisely because we cannot ascertain the source of the purported rejection of the amnesty that has yet to be offered. What is more, the aim of the amnesty is to encourage the sect to come out to the negotiating table without any fear of molestations by the security agents. And until it is offered, it would be strategically wrong to react now,” Anthony Sani, the spokesman of the ACF said.
In his own reaction, the President of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Fredrick Fasehun said that he didn’t think the Federal Government would have offered the sect amnesty, because according to him, “it was wrong in the first place to offer amnesty to killers of women, children and innocent people; bombers of schools and places of worships and government institution. The late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had already defined amnesty and our own amnesty is different from what the Federal Government is offering.”
Fasehun added that certain conditions must be fulfilled by the sect before talks of amnesty would arise and these conditions include: submission of their arms, unveiling their faces, so that government would know those it is dealing with, round table dialogue must be held and there must be certain conditions attached to the granting of amnesty.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba socio- cultural group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said the question that needs to be answered first is: which of the faction of the Boko Haram sect is government dealing with?
According to him, “Boko Haram has become a franchise, which every evilminded group now hides under to perpetrate evil. It is unreasonable of government to offer amnesty in the first place!” He asked who exactly is the Federal Government is talking to among the various factions of the sect, saying that government ought to have resuscitated the Datti Ahmed initiative which had since long collapsed in reaching out to the sect.
He also made reference to the comment credited to President Jonathan during his visit to Yobe and Borno states that his administration would not grant amnesty to ghosts. “Has Boko haram now ceased to be ghosts? One day, Nigerians will know the truth about this Boko Haram insurgency.”
National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fasakin, reacting to the development said: “Government needs to find out why the sect is rejecting its olive branch and must also continue to explore ways of reaching out to the sect, in order to put an end to the unnecessary killing of innocent Nigerians. “It is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war.
The sect has said that the Federal Government has hurt it and the government should find out how and where it has hurt the sect and find means of assuaging the feelings of the sect.”
Fasakin expressed concern over the allegation that what security agents are doing now is that anywhere there is bombing incident, they would just arrest youths in such area and exterminate them, saying that this would rather escalate an already tense situation.
Former Military President, General Ibrahin Babangida however said the plan to grant amnesty to the sect will help to ensure peace and stability return to the Northern region of the country.
He also promised to speak more on the issue, after the Federal Government had inaugurated the committee on the issue. Babangida, who stated this in Minna, urged Nigerians to join hands with the governments at all levels in addressing the security problems confronting the country.
“In view of what is happening, every Nigerian has a role to play as a Nigerian by adopting a common position with government on it as the people of Azare in Bauchi State did in tackling their own challenges.
“We must trace the root of the problem, the problem did not start in one day but it was a gradual thing before it came to this level. It may be owing to negligence by the government, elite and the people, but I cannot blame anyone,” he said.
On the amnesty, the elder statesman said since he does not know the terms of reference of the committee, he would have to wait before commenting. “On the issue, I cannot speak about the plan, until the terms of reference have been released before commenting on the amnesty plan.
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