The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has asked the federal government to bring repentant Boko Haram terrorists to justice or release the rest of them still in custody.
Chairman of the forum and former minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, in a statement on Tuesday titled, “On repentant Boko Haram Terrorists and the principle of equity and justice”, said an apology was not enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of dead and maimed.
Ogbe said, “We are currently witnessing large scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsorrists, 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 dead and maimed?” he asked.
The statement noted the massive destruction of property by the insurgents who have rendered many people homeless.
The ACF posed further questions: “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.”
Ogbe, expressed support to similar concerns raised by the Shehu of Borno, the Borno state governor and other concerned Nigerians.
“We join the Governor of Borno, 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”, the statement said.
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