Last week, the spiritual head of Muslims in Nigeria, and Sultan of Sokoto, Sir Saad Abubakar III urged the Federal Government to declare amnesty for the Boko Haram insurgents. Though well-meaning Nigerians have kicked against any form of dialogue with the zealots, the Federal Governemnt has made its stand on the issue public. Our correspondent, Calista Ezeaku and photographer, Dele Obinna sought the opinions of Nigerians on the issue. Excerpts:

Mr. Kogbara Princewill Lebua – Business Man

I don’t think it is necessary. Now what is the basis? There is no basis for that. If you want to look at it from the angle of the Niger Delta militants, there was a cause for their militancy. It was because the Niger Delta people felt marginalised after all the wealth the government had taken from the Niger Delta region, there is no development. There is nothing to show for it. So the Niger Delta militants tried in their own way for their voice to be heard.

What are Boko Haram members fighting for. What is the cause of their actions?  And you hardly see the Niger Delta militants killing innocent people or burning churches. But Boko Haram is known for that.

So in my own opinion, for the Federal Government to even create a room for discussion with Boko Haram  members, is not necessary.

I expected the government to approach the issue from the angle of being government that should be able to tell the people look this is wrong, this is right. You can’t do this. If you don’t have this, you can’t get this. Going into dialogue with Boko Haram members may prompt another group to form another kind of thing, just to make money from government.

But the case of the Niger Delta militants is clear. You will see by yourself that the Niger Delta people are suffering. We are not getting the benefit of our resources. Things are not going on well. If you get to the Niger Delta environment now, the fishermen are no longer fishing, farmers are no longer farming. So the Niger Delta militants were just a group of people that put themselves together as a way of expressing their feelings for the whole world to understand what they were passing through. So what is Boko Haram agitating for? What is their problem? What is that thing that government has not done for them? Look at the caption in last Thursday paper, what happened in the National Assembly, last Wednesday, when it was disclosed that the northerners have over 83 per cent oil blocs in this country. So, you will now see reason with the Niger Delta militants.

So, let’s call a spade a spade. Let the leaders of the north call themselves together and discuss with their boys and their people. They should do that first. Then if they want the government to play some role, for national peace then, they will now go about that. But I will not encourage government to declare amnesty for Boko Haram members unless they open up and tell the public what they are agitating for, I have not been able to identify what prompted them to kill innocent people, burn churches, up to the extent that they killed health officers. It is un-called for.

Mr Kurotamunonye George – A Tutor

Well, I think  it’s right for amnesty to be granted them. They’ve done that for the Niger Delta militants, so they can as well do that for Boko Haram members since they are fighting for their own right. That will balance the equation. Government should find out what is their problem. They cannot just come out to start bombing and start doing all sought of things without having a purpose. They have a reason for doing that so government should know their reasons and grant them amnesty. That is, if what they are fighting for is anything that has to do with resource control or true federalism. But they can’t fight for their own selfish interest and expect the government to give them amnesty. Amnesty should be given to them if they are fighting for true federalism, their own fundamental rights, not for their own selfish interest or for religion per say.

But I strongly believe that government knows the best way to handle Boko Haram  issue. Government has all it takes. Government knows the people behind this, they know how to go about it. The security agencies are there to curb this menace out of the society. But if they say that they want to grant them amnesty for the purpose of true federalism, it’s ok, irrespective of how many people they’ve killed, what they’ve destroyed and all that.

Mr. Ikechukwu Ojukwu – Student

I am not in support of the view that Federal Government should give amnesty to Boko Haram  members considering their action in the country, lives that have been valuable properties have been lost and wasted. People engaged in these acts are against the progress and unity of a corporate entity called Nigeria.

You cannot compare them to the Niger Delta militants. The aim of the Niger Delta militants was quite different from that of Boko Haram. Boko Haram  is a terrorist group and they shouldn’t give them anything like amnesty. You know this issue of amnesty for Boko Haram came as a result of the Mali crisis. Prior to this time, there was no cry for amnesty. Since they scattered their camps in Mali, they are now coming back home to demand for amnesty.

So I think the federal government should come to terms with Boko Haram,  not granting them amnesty. By this I mean federal government should dialogue with them, let them give up their arms and come out. Right now we don’t  know them in person. They are still faceless and I wonder how we can be talking of granting amnesty to a faceless people. Let us know who they are, what their problem  is and know how to handle  them.

Mr.  Iheanyi Ezinwo – Publisher

First of all, I want to commend the northern leaders for making that call. I say this not because I support amnesty for Boko Haram people but the fact  that they are thinking of a way out of the quagmire, as it were. What they suggested is just one of the ways  out of the problem.

Having said that, I want to say  that amnesty has some precedents that can make it possible. First,  the people must be identifiable. In the days of the Niger Delta militancy, Asari was known, people could call their leaders and talk with them. But now, we don’t  even know the characters behind the Boko Haram. Before you talk of amnesty, amnesty has to do with some body say, ok, I want to lay down my arms on the condition that the federal government will forgive me for all I have  done. Now what are the issues? We don’t  know. What they are asking for are very difficult, for the president to convert  to become a Muslim and for them to Islamise the whole country. So, it is  a difficult  thing. If the call is acceptable to the actors let them come out and tell us because  already  they have told the world that certain conditions must be fulfilled to they seize fire and those conditions are not acceptable. Now if federal government  is to grant them amnesty, on what condition will she do that.

So, there are certain grey areas that  need to be cleared before we can talk about granting them amnesty. As far as I am concerned, I don’t  think it is a big deal for President Jonathan to grant them amnesty but certain things have to be cleared to  be sure that if the amnesty is granted then, we can  have peace in this country. So, things have to be clarified and agreement  reached between Boko Haram members and the Federal Government  before we can talk about amnesty.

But for now, things are not clear. We are in a world where peace is gradually becoming history. All over the world, there is no peace because of the activities of terrorists and when you are dealing with terrorists, I don’t  think that the solution is to go and make for peace. Terrorism is an advance form of violence that those people who are experts, the soldiers, the security officers are in a better position to know how to deal with all this kind of terrorism.

What is going on in Borno State and some parts of the north is different from what happened in the Niger Delta, ours was a very clear case of marginalisation and when Federal Government promised to address. If our boys  laid down their arms and the amnesty is on course. I don’t think that amnesty is the solution to the problem in Borno State.

Mr. Nengisa Egerton – Banker

For me, I don’t buy the idea of granting   them amnesty. The actions of Niger Delta militants affected the production of crude oil so to some extent, the amnesty was  a way of calming them down which worked out. At least, it led to an improvement on production capacity.

So for me, I will even advise  that they should even stop the amnesty. At least, they have  achieved  their aim for now because there are  better ways  of addressing issues not  necessarily amnesty. Are they encouraging  every other youth to take up  arm before they will know that they are in need of some things?

So, I don’t support amnesty for Boko Haram. For them even, I don’t see any need  for that. I’m not in  support of granting  them amnesty.  If they end up granting them amnesty  tomorrow, another set of violent group may come up in any other part of the country and still demand for amnesty.

So, I think to solve this problem, and bring about lasting peace in this country, government should come up with poverty alleviation and other measures that will alleviate  the sufferings of the general masses.

Mrs Glory  Ezenjoku – Public Servant.

Granting amnesty to Boko Haram will not be  good enough because it will be a way of encouraging  militancy in Nigeria. Federal  Government granted  amnesty  to Niger Delta militants and that might be the reason they started  their own  group so that amnesty  will be granted them.

However, for peace to reign in the country,  they should go ahead and grant them amnesty because Boko Haram people have taken lot of lives and if granting  them amnesty will make them stop this wicked   act and bring peace to the country, they should go ahead and do that. From all indications, it’s like this Boko Haram sect is above the rule of law. It seems the Federal Government cannot get them controlled. Now, they are asking the Federal Government to grant them amnesty. That is to say that they are above the rule of law. I think it’s now good enough. Everybody is subject to the rule of law. They are citizens of this country, so I see no reason why they should be above the rule of law. It’s not good enough I don’t really buy that idea, but for peace to reign  in Nigeria, they should grant them amnesty.