SIX days after the fundamentalist Islamic
sect, Boko Haram, set conditions for ceasefire, President Goodluck Jonathan on
Tuesday described its members and sponsors as
“uncivilised”
“Terminating innocent lives through terrorist
acts is primitive, so perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism through Boko Haram
cannot be anything but uncivilised,” Jonathan said.
He spoke in Dutse, Jigawa State as
he ended his two-day visit to the state.
Stressing that it was wrong for any
individual or group to resort to killing to express grievances, the President
said Boko Haram’s activities were inhibiting national development.
Jonathan therefore admonished all
Nigerians to speak out in condemnation of terrorist acts in the country.
Boko Haram has since 2009 attacked
military and police facilities, worship centres and drinking joints among
others.
No fewer than 1,000 people have been killed in
attacks by the sect members.
Last Thursday, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz,
who is believed to be the second-in-command to the leader of the sect,
said they were willing to negotiate provided the government
met their conditions .
Some of the terms are that the
negotiation must hold in Saudi Arabia; that a former
Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, must lead other
negotiators;and payment of compensation to members of the sect
killed ‘unjustly.’
Before the President’s outburst, there had been
indications that the government was already considering paying the compensation
demanded and that it had began preparing for the talk with the sect.
A very dependable source in the Presidency had on
Sunday said, “I can confirm to you that it is true that the group is
currently talking with the government.
“The good news is that they are talking and they
have promised to cease fire once some of their demands are met. For conditions
that are not difficult to meet such as the demand for Diyya for their 24
identified members that were killed, the government may meet such demands.
“Government can also give critical thought to
those found to be innocent, but are being detained or prosecuted, particularly
women and children as demanded by the group since they do not have any
objection to the trial of those genuinely involved in crime.”
However, the Christian Association of Nigeria on
Tuesday opposed payment of compensation to members of the sect.
CAN said it would also demand compensation should
the Federal Government compensate members of Boko Haram.
The umbrella body for Christians in the country
also berated the Amnesty International over its report on human rights abuses
against the violent sect.
It said that the AI had not been commenting on
the killings and maiming of Christians by Boko Haram.
CAN Secretary-General, Dr. Musa Asake, said
paying compensation to Boko Haram members would be an insult to Christians.
Asake said, “These are the people that are
killing us and they are looking for compensation. The Federal Government should
not even listen to that because the fact that we Christians are keeping quiet
does not mean that we are dumb.
“We are looking for peace and we want peace. But
when they begin to talk of compensation, the question is, compensation for
what? After they have killed people, made many children orphans and destroyed
our churches and they are asking for compensation”
He said that the association would demand
compensation for churches destroyed and members killed by Boko Haram.
The CAN secretary stated, “When you begin to talk
of compensation, how can you compensate somebody who has been the breadwinner
of an entire family and he is killed? How much will you give to keep that
family going?
“If that is the dimension that Boko Haram wants,
we are ready. If government pays them compensation, then we too will demand
compensation for our people that have been killed.”
He also reiterated CAN’s opposition to the sect’s
choice of Buhari as a mediator between it and the government. He said
that CAN would not accept Saudi Arabia as the venue for any peace meeting.
“Why Saudi Arabia? Why Buhari? Why these
people that they are mentioning? We are very interested. They did not mention
any Christian; they are killing us and they want Muslims to go and decide it.
To decide what?” he asked.
Berating the AI, Asake said that the human rights
group should disclose its source of information.
He said, “I read what the human rights people
said but I wish they could tell me their source. All these killings have been
going on, where were the human rights people? They are just showing up now to
say there is abuse and rape without telling us the source. If I get the source
and validate it, then I can comment.
“What have they said about the Christians that
are being killed? Is that not human rights abuse? How did they know what has
happened? This thing is taking a different dimension and where are they getting
their information? Who is feeding them with that information? I have not read
where the human rights people are condemning what Boko Haram is doing to
Christians?”
But a traditional leader and Saridauna Samaru in
the Zazau Emirate Council, Zaria, in Kaduna State, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Sa’id,
supported payment of compensation to Boko Haram.
He said if compensating the families of the
killed members of the sect would ensure peace and stability in the country,
then the Federal Government should do so.
“We are interested in what will bring peace to
the country and if compensating Boko Haram family members will bring
peace, so be it,” he said.
The Punch
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