Indications emerged on Thursday that President Goodluck Jonathan had
reached adeal with northern leaders to grant amnesty to members of the
Boko Haram sect, as a means of ending the spate of raging violence
across the region.
As a prelude to granting the pardon to the group, Jonathan met for
several hours on Wednesday night with members of the powerful Northern
Elders' Forum, NEF at the Presidential Villa to secure their support
and cooperation towards ending the malevolent onslaught.
Specifically, the President wanted an undertaking from the elders that
they would impress upon the sect leaders and their followers to lay
down their arms and embrace the peace, as a condition for offering the
olive branch.
Under the plan, the Federal Government is to set up an Amnesty
Commission, which would serve as a quasi-judicial body, to register
and cater for repentant members of the sect and protect them from
being harassed or intimidated by security agents.
"The AC will then set up modalities for any member of Boko Haram, who
wants amnesty.Once a person signs up for amnesty, he is to be
protected by the commission.
"It is our strong belief that the arrangement would give the
government the leeway to find a lasting solution to the security
crisis in the North, a source at the meeting said.
More details soon
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