House of Reps member chides Northern elders over Boko Haram amnesty negotiation

By Ali Adoyi

Mr. Bitrus Kaze, member, representing Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is one of those who has condemned the calls by some Northern elders that the dreaded Boko Haram militants be granted amnesty, DailyPost can report.
Mr. Bitrus made his position known in Jos, yesterday when he said that the call by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and other northern Governors, that amnesty be granted to the Boko Haram militants was unconstitutional, hence could not be justified.
“Coming at a time when security reports from terrorists’ training camps in Mali have established links between Boko Haram and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the advocacy for amnesty in favour of Boko Haram offends the Nigerian Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 which provides for effective implementation of the several international Conventions on the Prevention, Financing and Combating of Terrorism which Nigeria is a signatory.
“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. President Goodluck Jonathan has an obligation to enforce all international conventions on terrorism none of which provides for amnesty to terrorists.

“The Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalists themselves have never sought for amnesty; why should the Sultan and the Northern Governors Forum cry more than the bereaved? Just last week, the Boko Haram leader Shiek Shekau himself claimed responsibility for perpetrating terrorism and staunchly denied any relationship with Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdulazeez who while claiming to be his second in command, pronounced a ceasefire.
“All this while, both the Sultan and the Northern Governors Forum have consistently maintained that Boko Haram and their sponsors are faceless; how come they are now advocating for amnesty for people they do not know?”, the statement said.
DailyPost