BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
The move by government to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant Boko Haram fundamentalists and insurgents back into the society, has been condemned by the Christian Association of Nigeria. In particular, the planned appeal to citizens, especially their victims, to accept them back into their communities as one of them has also been generating condemnations across the country.
It is estimated that so far, over 1,000 repented insurgents have turned themselves in, carrying placards and begging for forgiveness with the Borno State government pleading with host communities to accept them back into their folds.
But reacting to the development, CAN President, Samson Ayokunle, who spoke with The Point through his media aide, Bayo Oladeji, expressed disgust at the authorities’ persistent lukewarmness in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
The body expressed doubt and suspicion about the motive behind the terrorists’ surrender along with their subsequent deradicalisation and reintegration into the society by the government, as it noted that “this is the first time anywhere in the world where a war will be on-going and the government will be recycling those who are fighting the state by way of deradicalisation and rehabilitation. The ones that have repented; where are they? If those people were sincere with their repentance, how come the government is yet to stop terrorism?
“It seems this government has an agenda that we don’t understand. Since the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the president of this country, there has never been a time when any of the kingpins of terrorists have been condemned, arraigned or sentenced,” CAN wondered.
Additionally, CAN demanded justice for victims who have suffered losses, pain and hardship from their deadly activities, saying “the victims of terrorism are in the IDP camps abandoned, wailing and weeping, the widows, fatherless are there but government is doing nothing but they are talking of taking care of terrorists.”
Urging the United Nations, UNICEF, World Health Organisation, African Union to ask the Nigerian government to stop recycling terrorists to avoid a replication of the recent happening in the 20 year wore-torn Afghanistan, CAN wondered why government has been unable to curb the insurgency despite its various technological measures adopted to address it
“This government enforced BVN on us, all the monies these criminals are collecting, are they keeping it inside the bush? Are they not taking it to the bank? Last year, this government said they will name those who are giving terrorists financial support. When are they going to do it?”
