The Federal Government on Monday restated its offer to dialogue with members of the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram on the condition that the group renounces violence.

The Federal Government on Monday restated its offer to dialogue with members of the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram on the condition that the group renounces violence.

The National Coordinator of Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency in the office of the National Security Adviser, Major General Sarki Bello (rtd) made the offer at the National Defence College in Abuja.

The event was a visit by the capstone course of the National Defence University in the United States.

The Coordinator of the national counter terrorism and counter insurgency office told the visitors that Nigeria is making significant progress in the fight against terrorism and is doing more to ensure that insurgency is effectively curbed.

Major general Bello said a national counter terrorism policy has been put in place with a plan to set up a national counter terrorism centre to curb terrorist activities in the country.

He also announced the establishment of multinational strategies with Niger, Chad and Cameroun following intelligence reports that Boko Haram camps are in these countries bordering Nigeria.

General Bello expressed optimism that the ceasefire recently declared by the Islamic sect may be effective. He however said members of the sect must renounce violence before any dialogue with the militants.

Speaking on Nigeria’s operation in Mali, the Deputy Commandant of the national defence college said beyond restoring the territorial integrity of Mali, key to Nigeria’s participation in Mali is to contain the in-flock of extremists back in to Nigeria.

While the Nigerian government appreciates that more need to be done in the fight against terrorism, it believes that everything is on course to win the war against terror and extremism.

source: http://www.africaeagle.com/2013/02/nigeria-federal-government-agrees-to.html