The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammad Saad Abubakar has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to declare amnesty for the members of the fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, as part of the measures to halt the insurgency by the group.
The Sultan who is also the President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, gave the advice at the central council meeting of Jamatrul Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kaduna on Tuesday, where he expressed his deep concerns over the spate of bomb attacks and kidnappings by terrorists in parts of the country.
According to the Sultan, who chaired the meeting, extending amnesty to the sect members will pave way for dialogue between the sect and the federal government.
Making reference to a similar amnesty declared for militants in the Niger Delta, the Sultan stated that “the type of amnesty that ended militants’ unrest in the Niger Delta will be suitable for the North.”
He added: “Initiating a restoration and rehabilitation programme that would integrate the terrorists into the larger society will pave way for dialogue rather than engaging them in an endless war.”
Sultan Abubakar noted that the amnesty will enable the sect members lay down their arms rather than the on-going military tactic by the massive deployment of the Joint Task Force (JTF) to the northern part of the country.
The Federal Government had in 2008 declared amnesty for militants in the Niger-Delta following years of incessant bomb attacks on oil installations and kidnapping of oil workers. The amnesty which involved monthly payment and skill acquisition for the former militants abroad has since restored peace in the region and increased Nigeria’s crude oil production.
The Sultan’s demand is similar to the one made by the Northern Elders Forum during its meeting in Kano last year. At the meeting, the forum sought for amnesty for the Boko Haram members as it was done with the militants from the Niger Delta region during the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua administration.
Condemning the state of insecurity across the country, the Islamic leader attributed the security challenges to the injustice meted against the masses by political leaders which resulted in the taking up of arms by various groups.
Boko Haram has been staging insurgency attacks against the Nigerian government, demanding for an imposition of Sharia Law across the country. The insurgency attack is reported to have claimed over 3,000 civilian lives.
Polio Attacks
On polio outbreak and other epidemics in some states in the North, the Sultan said JNI will continue to work with the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies to ensure that children in the region are immunised against such deadly diseases.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Health, Mr. Mohammed Pate, condemned the recent killing of nine health workers in Kano and lamented that most parents in the North are yet to accept immunisation for their children. This situation, he said, has hindered the eradication of polio in the country.
Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio still exists.
The conference hall of the JNI headquarters in Kaduna was filled to capacity with prominent Islamic scholars and leaders from across the country, converging to discuss issues affecting Muslims and the country at large.
