Some Repentant Boko Haram May Not Be Genuine, Senate President Ahmed Lawan Says
- Ahmad Lawan, president of the Senate, has called for benefit of the doubt for repentant Boko Haram insurgents.
- According to the Senate president who said the repentant terrorists should be given the benefit of doubt, all suspects who surrendered were not the same.
- He argued that some are genuine and should not be mixed up with those who are surrendering for ulterior motives
A message has been sent to Nigerians concerning repentnt terrorists. the message ws sent by no other person than Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
The lawmaker said Nigerians must be cautious in accepting them back. He said measures must be put in place to ensure that the repentant insurgents are genuine, The Cable reports.
Source: Facebook
Going further, he posited that Nigeria needs a policy on how to deal with repentant criminals, Punch Newspaper added.
He said:
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“We need to screen those who are genuine and those who may just follow in for some reasons, but I do not subscribe to the idea of saying forget about people who are surrendering, all of them are criminals and the rest of it.
“I believe that we should give people the benefit of the doubt, but we should also be very circumspect on those who may not be genuine in this, but we should accept people when they come and take the appropriate measures, get the right strategies on how to deal with the reintegration of such people into the community.”
Lai Mohammed says repentant Boko Haram members can be prosecuted
Recall that Legit.ng reported that the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, stated that repentant Boko Haram members can be prosecuted.
Mohammed on Saturday, August 21, in Washington DC stated a report claiming he said the federal government cannot prosecute repentant insurgents was misleading because he was quoted out of context.
The minister however noted that repentant insurgents cannot be shot without profiling and prosecution because it is against the best global practice.
Arewa elders reject Boko Haram repentant members
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum has kicked against the reintegration of repentant Boko Haram insurgents into society.
The national chairman of the group, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the repentant Boko Haram members should be prosecuted for the crimes committed against Nigerians.
Ogbeh said this in a statement released by the spokesman of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, and seen by Legit.ng on Tuesday, August 17.
Nigerian Army's stance on repentant terrorists
On its part, the Nigerian Army has cleared the air on why it cannot kill surrendered Boko Haram terrorists as some Nigerians have demanded.
Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army spokesperson, said a global convention which Nigeria is signatory does not give room for that.
Nwachukwu further explained that it is not within the powers of the military to prosecute the terrorists.
Source: Legit.ng
