The Federal Government yesterday announced its decision to release some suspected members of the deadly Boko Haram Islamic sect, their wives and children, who had been held in various detention centres across the country.
This was a first major application of the government’s “carrot and stick” approach in resolving the nation’s internal security challenges. Although the government was silent on the number of those to be freed, it said women presently in custody would be released.
The action, which it said was based on the recommendation of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Reconciliation, PCDR, would see the suspects being handed over to their respective state governors for
consequent rehabilitation before they would be finally released to their community leaders and families.
Defence Headquarters’ spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in a statement yesterday said: “Consequent upon the directives of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Defence Headquarters will be releasing from detention, a number of persons being held in connection with terrorist activities.”
Although it was not immediately clear whether high-profile suspects like Kabiru Sokoto, whose cases are already in court, would enjoy such “presidential reprieve.”
Olukolade, however, said details of the directives and those to benefit from the gesture had been communicated to “field units and the Joint Task Force, JTF.” He added that “the move is in furtherance of the Federal Government’s position in response to requests by the amnesty committee.
“The measure, which is in line with presidential magnanimity to enhance peace efforts in the country, will result in freedom for suspects, including all women under custody.
“The beneficiaries will be released to the state governors who will be involved in further rehabilitation before these suspects are released to their respective community leaders/relations.”
However, it is believed that the move could have a demoralising effect on the Armed Forces and other security operatives who had risked their lives in effecting such arrests. A security source in Abuja told our correspondent that government’s action could have a debilitating effect on the ongoing efforts to halt terrorist activities in the country.
He said security operatives in the North-East had about four years ago arrested “some of these boys who are currently fighting the nation.”
According to the source, some were arrested and released by the courts due to the absence of an antiterrorism law, under which they could be prosecuted. Some were also released when some state governments intervened and said the boys would turn a new leaf.
“Today, some of those boys are up in arms against the state. There is yet no guarantee that these ones would not do the same thing once they breathe the air of freedom.
“It’s high time we made people pay for their sins. Besides, the ones being released, have they shown any sufficient sign of remorse? This is a key question which the so-called amnesty committee must answer.”
Former Director in the Department of State Service, DSS, Mr. Mike Ejiofor, also faulted the release of the suspects, describing government’s action as “premature”.
He told our correspondent that the move was unnecessary, especially with the government’s current offensive against terrorists in the North-East.
However, a northern leader, Ahmed Datti, had accused the Federal Government of being responsible for the failure of the first attempt at dialoguing with the sect, saying the government reneged on its promise to unconditionally release women and children, who were arrested along with the suspects.
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday voted overwhelmingly in support of the state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Approving the declaration, the upper legislative arm advised that all the democratic structures in the affected states must be allowed to operate fully and actively.
The senators added that the structures must also be involved in the Federal Government’s efforts to stop the ugly situation. The lawmakers also urged the Armed Forces to operate in a humane and benevolent way and ensure that all citizens are treated with utmost respect.
The senators asked the Federal Government to fund the operations properly and provide relief as well as medical materials immediately to the affected areas.
The motion on the state of the nation, sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Ndoma-Egba, incidentally was the only business in the order paper for yesterday.
After the adoption of the votes and proceedings of last Thursday’s sitting, Senate President David Mark proceeded to read a letter from President Jonathan, which contained copies of the official gazette of the state of emergency proclamation for necessary action.
Citing Rule 136 of the Senate standing orders, Ndoma-Egba immediately moved that the Senate retire into an executive session (closed-door), in accordance with the procedures for dealing with the issue of state of emergency.
Rule 136 reads: “The President shall in a closed session brief the Senate on the circumstances of the proclamation of a state of emergency and thereafter make available to the senators, the documents as provided by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
When the senators emerged from the closeddoor session, the Senate President read out the outcome of the deliberations at the executive session. Subsequently, citing Rule 137 of the standing orders, Ndoma-Egba again moved that the Senate resolve into a “committee of the whole” to discuss what was agreed upon while at the closed-door session.
Rule 137 provides that: “Except the Senate by a unanimous decision directs, the Senate shall then forthwith resolve into a committee of whole for the consideration of the proclamation and on reporting progress, the Senate shall decide in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria approving the proclamation.”
At the committee of the whole, Mark announced that 100 senators attended the day’s session and unanimously supported the proclamation of the state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Admawa states by the President.
When he asked if that represented the true position of what took place during the executive session to voice vote, the senators overwhelmingly said “yes”, without any single dissent. National Mirror, however, learnt that the 100 senators excluded the two presiding officers, Mark and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
The seven senators, who were absent from yesterday’s special session were Senators Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North), Maina Maji Lawan (Borno North), Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central), Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Ibrahim Musa (Niger North).
The Senate President explained the absence of the senators, saying they were out on official duty. The Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, explained that the Senate decided to adopt the voice vote to protect members from victimisation they might face if there was headcount by the Senate President as required. In another development, Nigeria has asked Niger Republic for support in the offensive against the Islamist insurgent bases.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Nurudeen Muhammed, delivered the request for help from President Jonathan to his Nigerien counterpart, Mahamadou Issoufou, on Monday in Niamey. “We currently have military operations in Nigeria in three federal states to combat terrorism and we would like to have Niger’s support in the common fight against these terrorists,” Muhammed said. Military sources said the Special Forces had faced stiff resistance by hardened Islamist rebels, using cross-border routes to smuggle in weapons.
Nigeria and Niger signed a bilateral defence pact in October 2012 that includes sharing intelligence on Islamist groups and joint military exercises. The deal stipulates that a request for military aid by one nation cannot be refused by the other.
The two West African nations share a porous frontier of more than 1,500 km (940 miles). The fighting in Nigeria has pushed over 1,000 refugees across the border into Niger in the past few weeks, according to UN estimates. Soldiers from Niger and neighbouring Chad participated with Nigerian forces in a joint assault on Boko Haram insurgents last month in Baga, a fishing settlement on the shores of Lake Chad.
In a related development, the Federal Government yesterday dismissed speculation that it has begun withdrawing troops from Mali to assist in the ongoing efforts to rout insurgents from parts of the North.
Defence authorities in Abuja said its men on ground were capable of taking out the terrorists, stressing that its men were not weary but remained in high spirits. Nigeria’s military strength is estimated to be about 170, 000 with a fraction of this in foreign operations. The police is roughly 380,000.
The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, however, stated yesterday that its men were capable of discharging their duties creditably and professionally.
In a statement, the DHQ stated: “As the operation to rid our country of terrorist activities continues, the Defence Headquarters wishes to reassure Nigerians that the military is quite capable and ready to discharge this duty professionally and creditably well.”
The DHQ said Nigeria’s human and material resources could prosecute the war, explaining that there was no need of withdrawing the troops from Mali .
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