Senate President, David Mark, on Saturday ruled out any form of
negotiation with Boko Haram insurgents for the release of the over 200 girls
abducted from Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.
He said the insurgents had declared war on the country, saying the
government would respond likewise.
Mark said this at Ikom, Cross River State, during an empowerment
programme organised by the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, for the people of
the central senatorial district.
The Senate President said government was initially ready for peace but
it appeared the perpetrators of terrorist activities and their supporters were
not ready.
Mark said despite local and international pressure on the Federal
Government, over the abduction, government would not negotiate the release of
innocent girls with criminals.
He added that government would use all resources at its disposal to
bring the issue of Boko Haram to a logical end.
He said, “I take pain to say something very important. This government
will not yield to blackmail. This government will not negotiate with criminals
and this government will not exchange people for criminals.
“A criminal will be treated like a criminal and this government in no
distant time will bring the issue of Boko Haram and insecurity in this country
to a logical conclusion. We would spare no efforts at all in bringing the
insecurity situation in the northern part of this country to an end.
“We would mobilise all our resources. People declare war on us, we would
also declare war on them. The government was ready for peace, but obviously,
the Boko Haram people and their supporters were not ready and we are going to
deal with them in a manner that people deal with terrorists and insurgents.
“It is not by negotiation. If the language they will understand is the
language of force, the government has got all the resources to do that.”
Tags
Nass