The Northern Elders’ Forum has urged the Federal Government to negotiate
with Boko Haram for the release of the girls, abducted from the Government
Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, since April 14.
The NEF was commenting on a report that the sect had soft-pedaled. The
sect, which initially said that its commanders should be released, is now
saying that wives of its members in detention should be set free.
It urged the Federal Government to accept an offer by the Boko Haram
sect to exchange the Chibok schoolgirls for its detained members.
The spokesman for the forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said this in a
telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, on Monday.
He said what was uppermost in the minds of most Nigerians was for the
girls to be reunited with their families and that no sacrifice was too much to
make to get them back.
Abdullahi said, “Whatever the case maybe, whether they are asking for
their members to be released in exchange for the girls or whether they are
asking for family members or wives and children who are in detention to be
released in place of the girls, the distinction doesn’t have to be that
important.”
According to him, what is important is the fact that the insurgents have
identified their people who are being held and they have expressed a
willingness to have them back in exchange for the girls.
“I understand that their members in detention are in their hundreds in
various detention centres. So, if they are asking for just 237, I think it is
worth the effort,” he said.
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This suggestion doesnt make sense to me. I insist: Dont ever negotiate with terrorists; there are dire consequences in doing that. Dont ever give terrorists the impression that they are in the driving seat, bending to their every whim; doing so would be suicidal.
ReplyDeleteThe Northern Elders Forum are sponsors of the Boko Haram no doubt about it, It is senseless for NEF to champion such move, what of those Boko Haram has killed since inception? FG should get to the bottom of Boko Haram, the North is to be held accountable, the sponsors are jittering now that they have seen an end to insurgency, Nigerian's must know who and who is behind Boko Haram, it's simple the North knows it and learn their lessons.
ReplyDeleteThe reasoning of Prof Ango Abdulahi is always narrow. He does not know that agreeing to this exchange will trigger more kidnappings by BH and demand for exchanges. Abdulahi was the one who would take former COAS, Ihejirika to world court at Hague for Human Rights abuses. The death of soldiers paying supreme sacrifice does not matter to him.
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