Expert Faults Repentant Boko Haram Members Bill

A security expert, Efe Wanogho has faulted the proposed bill seeking the establishment of an agency for repentant Boko Haram members, saying it is shameful for a Senator to advance such a position.
Recall that Senator Ibrahim Gaidam and immediate past Governor of Yobe State had introduced the said bill on the floor of the red chamber, explaining that the proposed commission (agency) ‘would help repentant insurgents to re-enter mainstream politics, religion and society, as well as promote reconciliation and national unity.
But Efe, while speaking on a live radio programme in Port Harcourt, monitored by The Tide, said such a thinking may stem from the amnesty offered to repentant militants in the Niger Delta region, noting that the circumstances were different, describing the insurgents as sworn enemies of Nigeria.
He said, “It is very shameful that that Senator stood up and advanced such a position. I know it is not far from the thinking in many parts of the country that the amnesty that was granted to some militants from the South-South and Niger Delta is part of sharing national cake. So they want to do whatever they can to also share in this fast depleting national cake. But I think they are misdirected. I think they have misconceived the situation.
“People who are sworn enemies of Nigeria, people who have shed blood massively, you are advocating for the creation of an agency? That means you want Boko Haram to exist in perpetuity because there is now a reason, there is a motivation for everybody to key into the Boko Haram practice as a means of earning money because that is where it is going to end.
“Make no mistake, the amnesty that was granted in the Niger Delta, at a time I was not in support of it. I wasn’t because I felt it was an abuse of sort, but you cannot compare ex-militants in Niger Delta to Boko Haram people,” Wanogho stated.
The security expert further said Boko Haram members radically different, adding that to date their motive is unknown, unlike the Niger Delta militants that had a clear agitation.

Dennis Naku