Terrorism: Amnesty panel asks ACF to lead fight

Add caption

Chairman, Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North, Tanimu Turaki
| credits: http://loveworldplusnews.org

The Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North has challenged the Arewa Consultative Forum to stand up and lead the vanguard for tackling the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern part of the country.

The committee’s Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, at a meeting with the ACF and some northern leaders on Tuesday in Kaduna, asked northern leaders to be proactive in the search for solution to the insecurity in the region.

He, therefore, urged them (northern leaders) to take a proactive step in ensuring that the insurgency in the region came to an end within the shortest possible time.

While briefing the northern leaders, Turaki  condemned those claiming to have the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency, saying  they were beneficiaries of the insurgency.

Northern-based rights activist and President of the Civil Rights Congress, Mallam Shehu Sani, had at a recent news conference accused members of the committee of deceiving Nigerians by churning out lies on the handling of the Boko Haram issues.

He had also said the way forward was for the government to act on his report, which he claimed to have sent through a former President,  Olusegun Obasanjo, and another one brought to them (the committee) by Dr. Datti Ahmed, which was facilitated by a freelance journalist, Ahmed Sarkida, according to him.

However, Turaki, at the opening of the meeting that lasted several hours before going into a closed-door session, took a swipe at the activist, saying it was either that his (Sani’s) claims were untrue or he was benefiting from the Sani of the Boko Haram.

Turaki then challenged those, who he said rejected the offer to serve in the committee but claimed to have a roadmap and solution to the insurgency in the region, to either come out or remain silent permanently.

He said as northerners, they should be concerned about the level of destruction in the region, which was occasioned by the Boko Haram insurgency that had over the years claimed several lives in some parts of the region.

Turaki said, “We do not want to speak as if we are blowing our trumpet. But let me say that the dialogue process has not only started; but we have gone very far in it. We are now at a level, where we need the support of every Nigerian. We believe that the situation in this country is such that no responsible Nigerian should wait to be approached before lending their support to the process.

“That is why as a committee, we are surprised that some people, who have been given the opportunity to come and serve in this committee (who claimed to be concerned northerners but refused to take that opportunity), but claimed not only to have access to this group, and yet claimed to have the solution and a roadmap, despite all have continued to criticise efforts.”