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Published On: Sat, Apr 6th, 2013

Terrorist group in Nigeria, Boko Haram, set to receive total amnesty from their crimes against Christians

After several months of political bantering on the emergence of Boko Haram Islamic sect and desirability of granting amnesty to its members, the Federal government, yesterday, took a major step towards granting them amnesty as it set up a committee to look at the feasibility or otherwise of the program.

A senior security official who was privy to the meeting of the National Security Council, Thursday, told Vanguard that at the end of the meeting the President set up an in-house committee with a two-week mandate to consider the clamor for amnesty for Boko Haram members and consider its feasibility or otherwise.

The source said: “If the committee, which will work hand in hand with the National Security Adviser (NSA) decides that amnesty would be workable, it will then outline modalities for implementing it’. He added that contrary to insinuations in some quarters, the President never said there would be no amnesty at all but that he would do so if people come forward to identify themselves for discussion and negotiations.

“It is a complex situation, but government has obligation to respect public opinion, especially with increasing clamour for the amnesty from various quarters”, he added.

President Jonathan was said to have reached a deal with northern leaders last Wednesday to grant amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect, as a means of ending the spate of raging violence across the region.

The crimes against Christians by the terrorists are too numerous to list, but include heinous violence towards women and children as well. 2013 has proved to be a successful shift for authorities in capturing terrorist leaders and some are calling the Amnesty plans a means for political power and a re-election strategy.

Alhaji Balarabe Musa in his reaction said: “If President Jonathan eventually grants amnesty to members of the dreaded Boko Haram, it is a bait to getting political concession from the North in 2015”.

Musa said: “Yes, he can do it. It is an attempt. He can use it. May be that was his reason for not doing anything about Boko Haram because he wants to use it to buy political concession from the north. I have always believed that Boko Haram is more likely to be an agent provocateur established by the federal government to divert attention.” (more below)

Nigeria Boko Haram attacks map

Photo/wikimedia

The terms of reference of the committee are:

-To consider the feasibility or otherwise of granting pardon to the Boko Haram adherents,

-Collate clamours arising from different interest groups who want the apex government to administer clemency on members of the religious sect; and

-To recommend modalities for the granting of the pardon, should such step become the logical one to take under the prevailing circumstance.

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  1. Firefight in Nigeria with Boko Haram, Islamic terrorist group, leaves 228 dead and more pressure on government - The Global Dispatch says:

    […] this month Jonathan opened more talks about granting amnesty to these terrorists to create a ceasefire and peace in the […]

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