Group Counsels FG On Sect

The Patriotic Alliance of Nigeria, PAN, an association of opposition political parties, says the Federal Government must not allow itself to be seen as being intimidated by the Boko Haram sect.

The National Coordinator of PAN, Chief Maxi Okwu, spoke in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN in Lagos on Wednesday.

Okwu spoke against the backdrop of reports that the sect has vowed to fight on until its demands are met, rejecting the recommendations of the Ambassador Usman Galtimari committee, which urged the Federal Government to dialogue with the group.

In its report, the committee had recommended that government should consider dialogue and negotiation with the group, which should be contingent upon their renunciation of all forms of violence and surrender of arms.

It recommended that the action should be followed by a rehabilitation programme on the side of government.

“Nigeria must be careful not to allow the sect to rubbish it before the international community,” Okwu, who is also an Enugu-based constitutional lawyer, said.

He said that anyone involved in terrorism must be brought to book in line with the global fight against terrorism.

“This is not to say that those involved in the killing of the leader of the sect without due process should go free. They must be brought to book.

“Members of the group in police custody should be prosecuted or released if there is nothing against them,” he said.

The PAN coordinator urged the government to make use of more experts in tune with global security to tackle the challenge.

Mr Austin Nnorom, the Southwest Secretary of the CNPP, also said that the government must show resilience in handling the Boko Haram group.

“We do not support the release of their members; it will be weakness on the part of government.

“The sect has committed crimes against the nation; those involved should be brought to book while those who killed their leaders should also be prosecuted,” he said.

Nnorom said the law must be allowed to take its course even while discussions were going on.

The President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, however, told NAN that the government should give more time to the members of the sect willing to work with it

“Care must be taken to separate genuine members of the sect from those taking advantage of the situation,” he said.

He, however, said that the demand of the group for the prosecution of those involved in the extra judicial killing of its leaders was genuine.

“It is a genuine demand. That does not mean government should lose focus, rather it should revisit the killing so as to understand the reasons for it” he said.

The Sect has asked for the punishment of those who killed its leader, Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, in July 2009.