Senate urges FG to halt Amnesty for Boko Haram terrorists

Etim Ekpimah

The Senate has asked President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to find out sponsors of Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria for immediate prosecution.

A committee on Army stated disclosed this to journalists on Friday after a budget defence session with the leadership of the Nigerian Army.

The Senate also asked the Federal Government to stop giving amnesty to terrorists, noting that an alleged attack carried out by repentant Boko Haram members in Damboa, Borno State, led to the death of many people including an Army General.

It was learnt that the Senate’s call for unveiling and prosecution of Boko Haram sponsors, came just few days after six Nigerians were jailed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for sponsoring Boko Haram.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, its chairman, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), said the UAE did a good job by jailing those sponsoring Boko Haram.

He said the pace of prosecution in Nigeria was too slow just as he declared that granting of purported repented Boko Haram terrorists amnesty, may be counterproductive.

He said: “We are really grateful to the government of UAE and we are still appealing to our Government to bring those directly or indirectly involved in Boko Haram activities to book immediately.

“We disagree with the idea of deradicalization and reintegration of purported Boko Haram terrorists. The position of the executive is different. We still maintain that you can’t be pampering people while their victims are still suffering in the IDP camps.”

Ndume stated that the recent attack on Damboa was allegedly executed by a repentant Boko Haram terrorist.

He added that the assumed repentant terrorist was giving information as to the movement of the army which led to the killing of a General recently. “They can be kept as prisoners of war. After that, you profile them and charge those that are supposed to be charged to court and those that are victims of Boko Haram that were forcefully conscripted should be released,” he added.