Nigeria - Sultan Of Sokoto Demands Amnesty For Boko Haram Islamists
https://nigeriaafrica1.blogspot.com/2013/03/nigeria-sultan-of-sokoto-demands.html
Sultan of Sokoto, Dr. Sa’ad Abubakar II Tuesday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently grant amnesty to all Boko Haram members as a means of encouraging them to lay down their arms and end insecurity in the country.
The supreme leader of the Islamic sect, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau last Sunday threatened to unleash fresh attack in the north.
The Sultan of Sokoto, who is also the President General of Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI), the apex Northern Muslims umbrella body, also denounced last Saturday’s violence in Wukari, Taraba State, saying it was “madness beyond comprehension.”
The Sultan made the call at the opening of the Annual Central Council meeting of the JNI in Kaduna, consisting mainly of Northern Muslim traditional leaders and clerics.
While urging Jonathan to consider granting amnesty to Boko Haram members, the Sultan argued: “We want to bring to the notice of the government our challenges. As Muslim leaders, we feel very concerned and very, very worried the way things are going on in Nigeria today, especially the insecurity issue in this country. We have problems in the North, we have in the South East, we have in the South West and in the South-South. We believe that it is the duty of the government to protect all of us.”
The Sultan noted: “You have been living together for centuries why of a sudden do you say you don’t want to live with one another? These are some of the things we shall be discussing. Either there is something somewhere we don’t know, or we come to the table together (with the other side) and seek for solution.
“By the grace of God, we believe that the issue of security or rather, insecurity, terrorism and their likes shall be discussed. We have of terrorism, everywhere, everyday.
“We have heard in the news that the President shall be visiting Maiduguri in a couple of days. And praise be to God, that the Shehu of Borno is here and he will be briefing us this evening. We want to use this opportunity to call on the government, especially Mr. President to see how he can declare amnesty to all combatants (Boko Haram) without delay. That will make any other person who picks up arms to be termed a criminal.
“If amnesty is declared, it will give so many of those young men who have been running and hiding to embrace that amnesty. Some of them have already come out, because we have read in the papers that some have already come out. Even if it is only one person that denounces terrorism, it is the duty of the government to accept that person and see how he can be used to reach others. It is left for the government to use that person, evaluate him and see whether he is genuine or fake.”
Also, the Minister of Health, Dr. Mohammed Aliyu Pate, who was invited to enlighten the gathering on the controversy concerning Polio, regretted, only Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan still had cases of wild polio.
The Sultan of Sokoto, who is also the President General of Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI), the apex Northern Muslims umbrella body, also denounced last Saturday’s violence in Wukari, Taraba State, saying it was “madness beyond comprehension.”
The Sultan made the call at the opening of the Annual Central Council meeting of the JNI in Kaduna, consisting mainly of Northern Muslim traditional leaders and clerics.
While urging Jonathan to consider granting amnesty to Boko Haram members, the Sultan argued: “We want to bring to the notice of the government our challenges. As Muslim leaders, we feel very concerned and very, very worried the way things are going on in Nigeria today, especially the insecurity issue in this country. We have problems in the North, we have in the South East, we have in the South West and in the South-South. We believe that it is the duty of the government to protect all of us.”
The Sultan noted: “You have been living together for centuries why of a sudden do you say you don’t want to live with one another? These are some of the things we shall be discussing. Either there is something somewhere we don’t know, or we come to the table together (with the other side) and seek for solution.
“By the grace of God, we believe that the issue of security or rather, insecurity, terrorism and their likes shall be discussed. We have of terrorism, everywhere, everyday.
“We have heard in the news that the President shall be visiting Maiduguri in a couple of days. And praise be to God, that the Shehu of Borno is here and he will be briefing us this evening. We want to use this opportunity to call on the government, especially Mr. President to see how he can declare amnesty to all combatants (Boko Haram) without delay. That will make any other person who picks up arms to be termed a criminal.
“If amnesty is declared, it will give so many of those young men who have been running and hiding to embrace that amnesty. Some of them have already come out, because we have read in the papers that some have already come out. Even if it is only one person that denounces terrorism, it is the duty of the government to accept that person and see how he can be used to reach others. It is left for the government to use that person, evaluate him and see whether he is genuine or fake.”
Also, the Minister of Health, Dr. Mohammed Aliyu Pate, who was invited to enlighten the gathering on the controversy concerning Polio, regretted, only Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan still had cases of wild polio.
