GEJ To Declare Amnesty For Boko Haram

As President Goodluck Jonathan begins a two-day official visit to Borno and Yobe states today, there are strong indications that the president will announce an unconditional amnesty for Boko Haram, as advocated by some prominent personalities, including the Sultan of Sokoto.
The amnesty, if declared and implemented as is being expected, would significantly douse the tension and insecurity ravaging the two the states in particular and the nation jn general.
A competent source close to officialdom informed Peoples Daily yesterday that the President is disposed to declaring amnesty to display government’s commitment to finding lasting solutions to the threat of insecurity that has done incalculable damage to the economy and people of the north.
The resolve of the president to declare the amnesty, the source said, is borne of his desire to restore lasting peace to the affected states, and to heed to the calls by prominent northern leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh Abubakar Sa’ad, and the northern state governors, for an amnesty to reintegrate the insurgents into the society after renouncing violence and handing over their weapons.
And ahead of the president’s visit to Yobe and Borno today, security has been beefed up by the police anti – bomb squad and the Joint Task Force to forestall any break down of law and order during the visits.
Also, the Secretary to State Government (SSG) of Borno, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, in a statement issued yesterday announced a general public holiday as an honour to the visiting president.
Accordingly, Friday will be a work – free day for all workers in both public and private sectors, Jidda said.
The Borno Government House was a beehive of activities yesterday as various committees for the visit held meetings even as the President’s advance party, comprising of security and protocol personnel have arrived the state last night.
As part of the security measures to ensure a hitch-free visit, a number of major roads in the Maiduguri metropolis were sealed off yesterday with security operatives restricting vehicular Armed soldiers backed by armored tanks patrolled various parts of the city.
Meanwhile, the Yobe Police Command said yesterday that it had beefed up security in and around Damaturu ahead of the state visit by President Goodluck Jonathan today.
According to the Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Sanusi Rufa’i, “teams of mobile policemen have been deployed to the state to reinforce the security on ground. We are determined and working towards a peaceful and hitch-free presidential visit to the state.”
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted Rufa’i as assuring that the command had deployed its personnel to all the nooks and cranny of the state capital.
“Although we now enjoy relative peace, we will leave no stone unturned to provide adequate security for the presidential visit and the people.
“We have adequate manpower and logistics to ensure a peaceful visit. We implore the public to conduct their lawful businesses, remain law-abiding and cooperate with the security agencies,” he said.
Jonathan is scheduled to inaugurate the state university in Damaturu, the dual carriageway ring road, 300 housing units and an ultra-modern hospital.