The Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Friday said that the dreaded Islamist sect Boko Haram rejected amnesty offered by the Federal Government in order to increase their bargaining power with the government.
The NSCIA however, warned the Federal Government to remember its responsibility of protecting the citizens always and not abdicate it, as the security of lives and property was the primary responsibility of the government.
Speaking to newsmen in Abeokuta after observing Jumat service at Kobiti Central Mosque, the newly appointed Secretary-General of NSCIA, and former Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, said, “no amnesty has been offered to these people. When it is offered, it’s normal that when you have people in conflict, when you start to settle the matter, you will not expect everybody to say yes. You have two parties and one says look let us solve it, definitely the other will say no, at least to increase their bargaining power.
“I think that is normal. The right thing to do is for us to continue working towards a goal of peaceful dialogue. I’m happy to note yesterday that the minister for special duties, acting as the chairman of the new committee, has started interacting. Because we have been saying it; these people exist.”
“Government cannot say they are ghosts because many of them are in government custody. So, if they are in government custody and they are not ghosts by the time we put them in prison, how can we now say they are ghosts because we don’t want to talk to them? I think the issue is that some of them are in government custody; let’s start from there.
“Let scholars also interact with them, because that is the problem with us. America is coming all the way from where it is to come here and interact with these people, to have first-hand information with a view to increasing their own knowledge and scholarship about what is going on. Our own scholars are not allowed to interact with them. At the end of the day, if you want to know about Boko Haram, you’ll now go to Britain, America.
“Even for the sake of scholarship, Islamic scholars should be given access to those of them who are in custody. And I think our security agencies should also be accurate. They should not give a story today and another story tomorrow. If you say somebody is the mastermind of it, we want to believe because we want to believe that you have your facts.
“But if you go to court and you now charge the person for another offence, other than the one that you have publicized in the media, we could start to have our fears. That is why security agencies are creating undue attraction to those who are committing evil. If we don’t want to make up stories against them, if we say it as it is, then it will be possible for the society to come together and deal with criminals among us,” Oloyede said.
only God can save this country with all the callamity facing this country may allah subuahnah whatalla purnishd d peep inchaarge of this evil deeds:: immagine they give access 2 those 4rm other country and ignore our own schorlar bcos they don’t want them 2 kno the fact:: is this a country of justice:: anyway their is know justice anyway becous i they have achieved their aim by pollute the mind of segment in other 2 tarnished the image of islam: upon their effort, the proportion of islam keep increasing everyday:: may allah return peace 2 this country and put the love of each other 2 ourself::
come on!nigeria is too big for this hide and seek games with this islamic terrorist,we all know the men behind this,the negative issue here is dat the are in government and controlling this terrorist,they tell them what to do and what to say,forgetting that they are destroying thereselves,they cant try these there attacks in the southern part of nigeria,because we will give them war,idiots
I minced no word when I said PDP is solely behind security insurgency in Nigeria. You can only disguise under the umbrella of Boko Haram to deceive a man but God almighty is watching you. I pray to God to reveal and disgrace whoever the culprits are. Jonathan’s administration is anarcheous, barbaric, impuritanical, sentimental, corrupted, unjust, despotical, immoral, desperate and criminours.
Faruk,U’RE AN IMBECILE 4 UR DE END OF UR COMMENT,IS IT NOT DE USELESS MUSLIMS WHO VOWED 2 MAKE GOODLUCK’S GOVERNMENT A MESS,IT WILL NOT BE BETA 4 ALL DIS USELESS MUSLIMS INCLUDING U,NISCIA,BOKO HARAM,PROF ISHAKU OLUYODE
Prof. Goat. If u dont knw wot to say u beta shut dat ur mouth dat luks lyk a pig’s snout. Well, i dnt blame u,Its Gej i blame. Let me ask u, On wot ground is d FG granting d amnesty? Granting amnesty to murderer is d most absurd tin talkless of increasing “bargain power”. Datz trash…
Well. Dis is all about religion. Look at what a prof is saying. How can you talk of those in dia custody. They are criminals and you want them freed. Religion is a problem to you guys in islam.
I will like to ask when the supree council council of islamic affairs became the spokesperson for boko haram.
Responding to above comments will no doubt change d focal point but I’ll like to say Nigerian Xtians should 4 d sake of peace b considerate on national issue like ds.
BH it has been made clear r not ghost but our security n FG just confused us w wrong information. Those in detention r d source of information abt d group if govt really wants a solution n stop 2 d senseless killings.
Even d western govt led by USA has continuously put blame on d FG 4 tackling d issue wrongly. Let’s stop d unreasonable comment n b a better contributor 2 our nation.