A security multi-stakeholder town-hall meeting hosted by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State in Maiduguri has extensively discussed the pros, cons, and implications of the ongoing surrender by Boko Haram fighters.
The meeting also came up with 16 resolutions in an issued communique.
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The resolutions included, demands that firearms are retrieved from all repentant insurgents, while profiling is made stringent, to avoid the hasty release of hardened elements back to the larger society.
The stakeholders urged intensified military battle against ISWAP, and for the Federal Government to quickly establish a centre for the de-radicalization and rehabilitation of the repentant insurgents.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the victims of the Boko Haram attacks, National and State Assembly members, traditional rulers, and the various stakeholders, led by Governor Zulum.
The meeting is coming after Zulum had met with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Defence Staff, among others, seeking ways to address concerns over the surrender of the Boko Haram fighters, given the havoc they have wreaked and the need to find ways of ending the 12 years insurgency; and to prevent the insurgents from merging with ISWAP, and prolong the crisis.
“While it is difficult accepting the killers of our loved ones, it is equally important to finding ways of ending the 12 years insurgency. The Boko Haram surrender is dealing with “two extreme conditions” because on the one hand accepting insurgents has its implications while on the other, rejecting them could swell the ranks of rival ISWAP faction.”
The meeting also came up with 16 resolutions in a communique that was signed by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan.
The communique appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari’s support, towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency and other criminalities in Borno State and the country at large.
It also commended the zeal and determination of Governor Babagana Zulum, towards the restoration of lasting peace in the state.
The stakeholders welcomed the efforts of the Federal and State Governments in the provision of equipment and other logistics to the security operatives, which resulted in the recent surrender.
The meeting also urged Borno citizens to key into the educational opportunities created by the state government, especially by enrolling their children and wards in schools, as a counter-measure for indoctrination, among others.
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
