Amnesty to Boko Haram is the most viable option to attaining peace in northern Nigeria, according to Deputy Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Wantaregh Paul Unongo.

Unongo also accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of attempting to mislead President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said people like the CAN president are not speaking on behalf of Christians as the solution they are proffering would not bring peace.

“You can’t end a war with a war which is the theory presented to Mr President by the president of the CAN because he doesn’t want Mr president to talk to the people who are the warring people. He wants soldiers to kill them the more. These are the people who tie themselves up to be blown up; do they care about their lives?

“They kill themselves first. They press their b*tton and blow themselves. Do they care if you kill them? Can you solve the problem by killing them? How many would you kill? Those people who make the president feel you can solve the problem by killing them are mad,” he said.

“Why do Nigerians want Mr President to fail, lying to him that these are religious problem? I am a Christian, why is Mr Oritsejafor lying to the president that it is a war against Christians even when large numbers of Muslims are killed? This is a more complex phenomenon and they should leave this man alone. He is on the right track; it is not a religious war.”

Unongo said “the Muslims in Kano, the Muslims in Borno, and the Muslims in Yobe all hate Boko Haram more than those opposed to the deal because Boko Haram has wrecked such havoc on their families – they have lost their wives, they have lost their monies, they have lost their trade, they have lost everything they have. How can they support Boko Haram? So the simplistic interpretation of what is happening in the far northern part of Nigeria is not acceptable.

“These are agents provocateurs; these are enemies of Nigeria; these are people pushing Jonathan to make a mistake. The problem of Boko Haram is a problem of terrorism.

“Niger delta militants were criminals yet we dialogued with them and we got results. When we sent soldiers to go and kill people in Odi and we killed them but they fought back and they eventually produced all kinds of militants equipped with proper arms;did that action end the fighting in Niger Delta through killing all the people of Niger Delta? If the Nigerian nation wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed everybody in Niger Delta, but would it have been the solution?” he said.