Facts emerged on Friday regarding why the
dreaded Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, turned down
the proposed amnesty plan of the Federal Government.
A competent security source disclosed to our correspondent that
the proposal was turned down chiefly because the group’s major financial muscle
and world largest terrorist organisation, al Qaeda, wrote Boko
Haramnot to accept the offer.
The source stressed that the letter came into Nigeria from Mali
and is dated April 4, barely 24 hours after government unveiled the idea of
amnesty for the group, following intense pressure on the Presidency from
eminent Nigerians including northern traditional rulers.
Al Qaeda, it was also gathered, had threatened to
disown and declare all members of Boko Haram and their sponsors in Nigeria enemies
that would be eliminated any time should they be persuaded to accept the
amnesty.
The source also added that one other reason was the composition
of the amnesty implementation committee, which the group alleged is dominated
by persons who have no business being there.
It was also gathered that it is not usually the practice of
terrorist grousp in the likes of Al Qaeda to bow to amnesty, “because, if they
do so, their imaginary rewards of paradise and seven virgins, among others,
would not be given to them in heaven.”
Boko Haram, according to the source, is still in
touch with Al Qaeda, which had warned members of Boko
Haramto forget amnesty. “Amnesty is not in our dictionary,” a
member of the group was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, military authorities are expected to present a common
report and recommendations to the panel set up under the auspices of the
National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), on the issue of
amnesty for Boko Haram.
The top security brass had earlier in the week resolved to
endorse amnesty for Boko Haram but insisted on retaining soldiers on
the streets of the volatile states.
Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan mandated the NSA to set
up a panel to study the possibility or otherwise of granting amnesty to members
of the Boko Haram, which has been terrorising some states in the north.
Following government’s latest decision, the Chief of Defence
Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, last Tuesday met with all the service chiefs,
where they deliberated on the proposed amnesty for the Boko
Haram sect members.
The meeting, which lasted several hours according to military
sources, reportedly reviewed what transpired at the Security Council meeting.
Each of the service chiefs was said to have presented his position before all
were merged for onward transmission to the NSA panel as a memo.
Faulting the call for the withdrawal of soldiers from the
streets, another source disclosed that the service chiefs, in their report,
stated that the soldiers should remain there as long as the bombings persist.
If their recommendations are accepted, some retired military
officers might be among those that would constitute the Amnesty Committee.
Their recommendations might have been submitted ahead of next week’s Security
Council meeting.
Source: Daily Independent
No comments:
Post a Comment