The national chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr. Audu Ogbeh, has warned the federal government against wholesale embrace and reintegration of the so-called repentant Boko Haram fighters among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers who wreaked a lot of havoc in the society.
Ogbe, in a statement entitled ‘On repentant Boko Haram terrorists and the principle of equity and justice’ the country is “currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram insurgents” and asked rather rhetorically whether there is any good reason to cheer and hope for an end to decade-old havoc committed by the murderous religious ideologues.
He contended that if the deadly Boko Haram members would be set free, then it behooves the government to free all those in custody in any part of the country for one crime or another.
Ogbeh said the repentant Boko Haram members should be prosecuted for the crimes committed against Nigerians.
The statement reads: “We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram Insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers.
“Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity? Is ‘I am sorry’ enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of the dead and the maimed? What of those victims bombed in the churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them?
“Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created?
And what is the difference between them and the Ighoho’s or ESN of Nigeria? None.
“So, what do we do with them? Should we just embrace them and trust them wholesale? Are their moves informed by altruistic repentance? We seriously doubt.
“We join the Governor of Borno (Babagana Zulum), The Shehu of Borno, Senator Ndume and millions of Nigerians in pondering over this development and our simple advice is: Bring them to trial, or free all others presently in custody anywhere, while we Nigerians plead guilty of naivety and gullibility in the extreme, punishable by more insurrection and anarchy.”
