By Olayemi Esan
Participants
at the Town Hall meeting on the prevailing security situation in Borno
State have urged the Federal and State Governments to handle the issues
of repentant Boko Haram insurgents with utmost care and within the
instrumentality of the law.
The participants in a 16-point communiqué
issued at the end of the stakeholders’ meeting on the prevailing
security situation in the state at the Government House, Maiduguri on
Monday and read by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Barr. Kaka Shehu Lawan, appreciated the support of President
Muhammadu Buhari towards ending Boko Haram insurgency and other
criminality in the state and the country at large.
It could be
recalled that the meeting was convened over how to receive the massive
surrender of the members of Boko Haram insurgents in Borno state and the
need to chart ways to handle the situation.
In his opening remarks,
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state, also stressed that the forum was
to discuss the prevailing security situation occasioned by the massive
surrender of the Boko Haram insurgents and proffer solutions to the
development.
“The surrender has put us into two extremes situation of
choosing between to accept them or choose to live with insecurity,” the
Governor said.
Critical stakeholders at the parley include Governor
Babagana Zulum, his Deputy Alhaji Umar Kadafur National, members of the
state House of Assembly, members of the executive council, traditional
and religious leaders, local government chairmen and community leaders.
Others
are internal communities, local and international non-governmental
organisations, civil society organisations, military, police, hunters,
vigilantes, members of the CJTF, victims of the insurgency among others.
They agreed to welcome the surrendered members of Boko Haram insurgents with some conditions.
The
Attorney General, in the communiqué, said stakeholders commended the
zeal and determination of Governor Zulum towards the restoration of
lasting peace in the State and the unparalleled support rendered to the
IDPs and vulnerable persons in the state.
”The stakeholders welcomed
the effort of the Federal and State Governments in the provision of
state-of-the-art equipment and other logistics to the security
operatives that led to the renewed vigour in the fight against
insurgents which resulted in the recent surrender,” the communique
added.
The participants welcoming the recent massive surrender by the
Boko Haram insurgents urged those still in the bush to follow suit,
stressing the need for proper profiling of repentant insurgents to avoid
the hasty release of hardened elements to the larger society.
The
gathering also called for all firearms and offensive weapons used by the
repentant insurgents to be retrieved and strongly advocated for the
strengthening of the de-radicalization mechanism of Operation Safe
Corridor to involve parents of the surrendered Boko Haram members,
Ulamas, traditional and community leaders as well as the media.
The
stakeholders urged 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.
Stakeholders also reiterated the need to further support all victims of insurgency especially women and children.
“The
meeting called on the Federal Government to establish a world-class
de-radicalization and rehabilitation centre in Borno State, being the
epicentre of insurgency. The meeting called for a true reconciliation
amongst the affected people,” Barrister Lawan added.
The meeting
solicited for more funding from the Federal Government to the State for
reconstruction, resettlement, reintegration, education and health,
stressing that the meager resources at the state’s disposal is not
sufficient in view of the magnitude of costs involved.
However, the
forum urged the military to sustain the ongoing offensive on the
activities of ISWAP and called for periodic briefing on the activities
of the surrendered Boko Haram terrorists with a view to creating
awareness amongst the public.
They further resolved that the North
East Development Commission (NEDC) as a matter of priority, be involved
in all aspects of the rehabilitation and integration of surrendered Boko
Haram into mainstream society.