Bishop Mathew Hassan KukahThe Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said that he is one of the first Nigerians to suggest amnesty for repentant members of the Boko Haram insurgents but that he was called names then.
“I think I was one of the first people to raise the issue of amnesty about five years ago, I know how much we were vilified,” he said.
Bishop Kukah, who spoke as a guest on Channels Television’s Hard Copy in Abuja, the nation’s capital, said: “but I was pretty convinced about what I was saying that for me if you mention the word amnesty, Nigerians think it simply means shaking hands and telling everybody to go home.”
He commended President Buhari’s decision to offer amnesty to members of the outlawed group, which was announced on March 23 this year, stressing that amnesty, is the way to go as nor has ended with victory being declared.
“If Boko Haram has been perceived to be as so weakened as it is, we would not be talking about negotiation. So clearly, those with superior information and superior knowledge – which is what government is all about – know something that the rest of us don’t.”
President Buhari had said that while further efforts were ongoing to secure the release of every citizen abducted by the insurgents, government is ready to accept the unconditional laying down of arms by any member of the group who showed strong commitment in that regard.
