DETAINED BOKO HARAM MEMBERS ASK FOR AMNESTY - REPORT

Some detained members of the Jamā’a Ahl al-sunnah li-da’wa wa al-jihād, better known as Boko Haram have called for amnesty and their release from the custody of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri.

The suspects made the appeal in an interview with Aljazeera television at the weekend, after admitting that they were members of the sect and had engaged in violent act before they were arrested. 
Aljazeera reporter who conducted the interview said the military authorities facilitated the contact with the detained suspects.  With the camera focusing on some of the suspects in handcuffs and driven in a car; another standing in handcuffs on a field, and some youths at the background in Maiduguri, the reporter said, “These men have confessed to be members of Boko Haram. We’ve been given access to them by the military administration.”

One of the suspects who gave his name as Mohammed Ibrahim claimed that he was one of the fighters in the sect. Another, who gave his name as  Adamu Abubakar told Aljazeera that he was a sub-commander  in the group. In the interview the suspects spoke in Hausa while a voice interpreted their positions in English to the television reporter.
Asked why he joined Boko Haram, Adamu Abubakar said, “I believe there should be Islamic law and we have chosen to take up arms against those people who do not want Shari’a.” 
He claimed that he had taken part in violent acts that led to the killing of some people. “Between me and God, I took up arms to fight. I attacked a vehicle transporting money from Maiduguri to Damaturu. We blocked them, shot them and took the money. At another time, we robbed a bank at Bama.”
Asked if he was telling the truth or had been instructed to give us the information, Abubakar said, “I’m telling you the truth between me and my God. I have nothing to hide from you.”
Another suspect in handcuffs, Mohammed Ibrahim, told Aljazeera that he had been a member of Boko Haram since the group started. Asked why he supported the killing of innocent civilians, Ibrahim replied thus: “Some of the killings happened by mistake. If, for example, an innocent person is passing by when we’re fighting, if he dies, he is innocent. We don’t worry at all. We’re forgiven by God.”
Aljazeera said the suspects wanted to negotiate their freedom with the military. 
In another clip from the interview, one Ahmed Ma’aji, who claimed to be a lawyer to the suspects, told the television station that the suspects were actually members of the Boko Haram sect and may have participated in some of the activities of the sect before they were arrested. “They were telling the truth,” he remarked, but complained that the army breached the law by keeping them in detention without trial.
Malam Ma’aji told Aljazeera that it was vital for the military to take the cases to court or let them (suspects) go because they’re supposed to be charged to court within 24 hours or released. 
He argued thus: “This is lawlessness. At least, the military are supposed to be guided by law. They have to abide by some kind of laws, but the issue is this: they don’t even have the time to open and take a look at the law. They act in accordance with what their minds tell them.”
Though these sect members have confessed to crime, there are concerns over the non-trial of the suspects. Last year, Amnesty International raised concern over the detention thus: “Police and security forces have authority to arrest individuals without first obtaining warrants, if they have a reasonable suspicion that a person committed an offense, a power they often abused. By law police may detain persons for 48 hours before charging them with an offense. The law requires an arresting officer to inform the accused of charges at the time of arrest, transport the accused to a police station for processing within a reasonable time, and allow suspects to engage counsel and post bail. 
“Arbitrary Arrest: Police routinely detained suspects without informing them of the charges or allowing access to counsel and family members. Provision of bail often remained arbitrary or subject to extrajudicial influence. Judges often set conditions of bail too stringent to be met. In many areas with no functioning bail system, suspects remained incarcerated indefinitely in investigative detention within the prison system. Authorities kept detainees incommunicado for long periods. Numerous detainees alleged that police demanded bribes to take them to court to have their cases heard. If family members wanted to attend a trial, police often demanded additional payment. 
“Police held persons who happened to be in the vicinity of a crime for interrogation for periods ranging from a few hours to several months. After their release authorities frequently asked them to return for further questioning. 
Security forces arbitrarily arrested numerous persons during the year.
In Borno State specifically, many persons suspected to be involved in Boko Haram or have confessed to be part of the group have been arrested. Aljazeera quoted the military authorities as saying they have the powers to hold suspects indefinitely, including those who have confessed to be part of the group. They would be held until investigations are carried out or they appear in court.”
Those interviewed told the television that they were asking for amnesty from the government as soon as possible.
The demand by these detained sect members is in tandem with what Borno Elders have advocated for amnesty. Though government has set up a 25-man committee to work out the framework for granting amnesty to the sect as a way of enticing them to drop their arms, the main sect leaders have said they were not seeking for amnesty. 
Previous demands by the group included the release of their wives and children who have been held in detention for many months, the trial or release of their members who are being held at various military and police detention centres, the trial and conviction of police officers involved in the killing of its leader Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, among several other demands.

Source: Daily Trust