amnesty for Boko Haram

Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd.) has thrown his weight behind the proposed amnesty for Islamic sect, Boko Haram, commending the Federal Government for setting up a committee that will look into the feasibility of granting amnesty to the sect’s members.

This came as the United States described the step taken by the Federal Government as a positive development and promised to work with government on the issue.


General Buhari spoke with newsmen in Abeokuta, yesterday, after condoling with the Matriarch of the Awolowo family, Mrs. HID Awolowo in Ikenne over the death of her son, Chief Oluwole Awolowo. He said he was in support of any move to bring about peace in the country.

The former Head of State who was accompanied by former Speaker of House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari; National Chairman, CPC, Chief Tony Momoh and pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare said, “it is good that they have set up a committee on amnesty. I have not seen the terms of reference but, it is a right step in the right direction.

“This is not the first time amnesty would be given to a violent group, you remember it happened in the time of Yar ‘Adua when he granted amnesty to militants in the Niger Delta. Whatever that would bring us peace as a society, we should do it”.

US commends FG’s peace proposal

Meanwhile, Political Counsellor at the United States Embassy, Gregory Lawless, who spoke on the proposed amnesty for Boko Haram members during a teleconference in Abuja on US-Nigeria Binational Commission, said: “We are working with the Nigerian government as a group to embrace a more holistic approach to the issue of violent extremism, whether it is in the North or other areas. We think it is a positive development. We will work with the Nigerian government as it develops its own policy approach to counter violent extremism. We provided lessons learned from our post-September 11 experiences in an effort to strengthen Nigeria’s community engagement and strategic communication efforts.

“We offered to help Nigeria develop an intelligence fusion centre to improve their intelligence, analysis, and dissemination efforts, although Nigerian officials are still deciding their scope and mission requirements for such a centre.

“We agreed to collaborate further to build on Nigeria’s amnesty programme by advancing economic development and environmental protection of the Delta.” Besides, Lawless said his country “is also committed to partner with Nigeria to enhance regional maritime security and to reduce the inflow of small arms and light weapons”.

Boko Haram does not deserve amnesty —Senator Sawa

A retired army Colonel and Senator in the Second Republic, Sen. Andramus Sawa, has, however, disagreed with the proposed amnesty, saying unless the sect members show remorse for the calamity they have done to hundreds of families whose breadwinners, relations have been killed and apologize to the nation, amnesty should not be granted to them.

Speaking on the ‘Focus Nigeria” programme of the African Independent Television, AIT, in Abuja, yesterday, he insisted that the Federal Government should not grant amnesty to a sect that has not shown remorse for the thousands of innocent Nigerians it had killed nor shown any sign of repentance.

He said government has no reason granting amnesty to an unrepentant group which is out to Islamize Nigeria by killing thousands of innocent Nigerians.

His words: “I want to say it clearly that the process of Boko Haram being given amnesty is not right. Gradually we are knowing them the more and, we shall expose them and when we expose them; we want government to do something about it.

“The government can’t just fold its hands and be watching our brothers and sisters being killed. When people talk about amnesty, I know some who are my friends and some who are my nephews and also know some, who are my very close relations, who were killed in Maiduguri, killed in Potiskum, killed in various places here in Adamawa State, for no just cause.

“Nothing has been done to them in areas of orientation, so how can the Federal Republic of Nigeria be talking about setting up a committee. Committee for what? Committee to do what? To give amnesty to who, to murderers? In fact, the issue of amnesty should not even be discussed”.

Continuing, Sawa said: “Let the sponsors of Boko Haram sit down and know what to do. I am a Christian and I will never be a Muslim. I will remain a Christian until I leave this earth, when the God Almighty has brought me to accomplish what he wants me to accomplish.

“No one can stop me because no one has power to do that. So, the sponsors know themselves. Now, let me ask a question, how can someone tell you that Boko Haram has no face, they are faceless? But what he will be telling you is that he wants you to give them amnesty. Amnesty to whom? Let them unveil those boys and let us know who these boys are before we can start talking about anything. Amnesty is an impossibility.”

Sen. Sawa further said that the ongoing onslaught of Boko Haram was a continuation of the campaign of forceful Islamization of Northern Nigeria, which began with the Usman Fodio Jihad. He, however, insisted that it was impossible to Islamize the North, describing the campaign as an effort in futility.