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The recent Federal Government’s proposal to consider granting amnesty to repentant Boko Haram members, as part of the measures towards ending the protracted war against the insurgents, is a positive development. However, it should be handled with utmost caution and circumspection. President Muhammadu Buhari made the amnesty plan known when he received the released Dapchi schoolgirls in Aso Villa, Abuja. Since government’s intention became public, it has received diverse reactions from across the nation. While some Nigerians support the move, some others are opposed to it. The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, is one of those that supported the move. In backing the plan, Bishop Kukah had argued that there was the need for the government to accommodate the complaints of the aggrieved persons and put human face to resolving the insurgency in the North East region. The renowned cleric observed that the government had reduced the fight against terrorism to only military operations and failed to address the roots of the problem.
That the Federal Government is considering the amnesty option is an indication that the war against the group is not yet over. It is equally an admission that a war of this nature is not likely to be won on the battlefield alone.
Having waged the war against the insurgents for some years, the government should consider other options that can bring about a comprehensive peace agreement with the insurgents and end the ongoing human carnage in the North East region. Any plan that would encourage the insurgents to surrender their arms and embrace peace is worthy of consideration.
Since amnesty to the insurgents is a national security issue, we advise the government to be very careful in exploring this difficult option. Government must make sure that it is dealing with the real insurgents that are ready to negotiate for peace. It must do so from a position of strength and not weakness. We say this because dealing with the insurgents can be problematic at times.
From what can be gleaned from the war theatres, there can be no quick fix on the issue. While government mulls over the amnesty option, it must consider the difficulty the reported factionalisation of the Boko Haram insurgents may cause. There are indications that the insurgents are probably in two or more factions and this could complicate matters and make negotiations difficult.
All the same, we believe that these anticipated complications and even the fear of failure must not deter government from giving the amnesty option a trial. As has been acknowledged, the human and material destruction arising from the war is already colossal for the country to bear. There must be a definitive plan to end the insurgency and win the war and peace for the North East and the entire country.
That is why we are delighted to note that some of the steps towards winning the war and lasting peace are already ongoing with the counter-indoctrination and counter-insurgency activities of the Nigerian Army. Such efforts should be intensified and sustained towards winning the envisaged peace.
All things considered, government should take sufficient care to critically examine the processes so that we do not have a backlash. There are enough danger signs already and we can ill-afford another costly mistake. Nevertheless, we still believe that any measure that will bring an end to the insurgency in the North East is welcome. For the amnesty programme to work effectively, it must be part of a comprehensive peace agreement to end the insurgency and the war against terrorism in the country. According the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), since 2009 when the conflict started, about 2,295 teachers had been killed in the North East. The UN agency also revealed that more than 1,000 children had been abducted and 1,400 schools destroyed since 2013.
