Is Amnesty the Panacea to the Insecurity, Terrorism & Boko Haram Crises in Nigeria?

Food for thought: While attempting to broker a deal with Napoleon, Pope Pius VII (1742-1823) said, ‘’we are prepared to go to the gates of hell- but no further’’.

Caveat:
In a country renowned for thunderous bandwagon sycophancy and where dissenting opinion or criticism is seen as ‘’Opposition’’, let me quickly point out that this treatise is apolitical and is devoid of tribal or religious inclination. It is out of profound Love for country, Patriotism and Passion that I undertook to invest my time in articulating these views. This is not aimed at traducing anybody, organization or section of the country.

Lately there have been so much brouhaha and well-orchestrated angling for Boko Haram to be granted an amnesty. The Sultan of Sokoto tested the waters and since then notable Nigerians mostly drawn from the north have also added their voice.

Rather than pestering the federal government to grant amnesty to impenitent Boko Haram members, let the Sultan and other prominent northern leaders persuade the leadership and members of Boko Haram to embrace peace, surrender their weapons and plead for clemency.

If Boko Haram wants amnesty, they must come out, show remorse and ask for pardon. They cannot get an amnesty by proxy. They must yearn for it and demonstrate it by ceasing wanton killings. It does not behove the government openly beseeching Boko Haram to negotiate or accept an amnesty. It portrays sheer helplessness and weakness. Boko Haram is playing a dangerous psychological war with the government. It will be very embarrassing to the Goodluck Jonathan government if Boko Haram snubs its overtures. I deduce they are lackadaisical over this amnesty thing, so why force it down their throat? It is a waste of time reciting poetry to somebody who does not appreciate poetry. It is human nature not to appreciate something one did not ask for or pay a price for. If the body language of the Presidency cum Political expediency/2015 election permutations is anything to go by, Aso Rock will sooner than later succumb to this wishy-washy exit strategy.

Let’s get something clear here. There is a parallel between the agitation of the Niger Delta militants and that of Boko Haram. The motive, ideology, philosophy and modus operandi of these two groups contrast. Niger Delta militants were fighting for equitable distribution of Oil Money and environmental protection of their communities while Boko Haram says they abhor Western education and that Nigeria must become a full-fledged Islamic country. The activities of the Niger Delta militants largely involved sabotage/bombing of Oil installations in the creeks while Boko Haram is kamikaze and undiscriminating: they target everybody- School children, fellow Muslims, Christians, foreign doctors, Youth Corpers etc. The Niger Delta militants had a semblance of a Unified Command and Control Structure whereas Bokites have a very loose structure, splinter groups and purportedly affiliated to Al-Qaida.

Contrary to widespread believe and in fairness to Boko Haram, the sect may not after all be responsible for all the acts of terrorism and atrocities credited to them. People settle scores somewhere and the Sect basks on it. An example is the sporadic clashes in Plateau State (Jos) and other places involving Fulani herdsmen.

Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Iran are the bastion of Islam yet these countries don’t witness the unprecedented and sporadic killings that we have in Nigeria. There are also Muslims in America, Ghana, Cameroon etc and these places are relatively calm. Let’s stop this window dressing and get to the root of this matter.

Beyond the guise of religion and politics, there must be a strong force that will galvanize an individual to waste his life and that of others as a suicide bomber. That strong force is the trio of abysmal poverty, hopelessness/frustration, and joblessness. It’s not simplistic! A hungry man is an angry man. It will take an amazing brain-washing prowess to convince a gainfully employed young man or somebody with a thriving business to abandon the trappings of his work or business and be a slavish stooge for kidnapping or terrorism.

Nigeria and Nigerians exigently yearn for good governance and a no-holds-barred restructuring. I dream of a Nigeria that is SAFE, PEACEFUL and where ALL her citizens irrespective of their ethnic and religious background, have a sense of belonging. We want a Nigeria where JUSTICE and EQUITY reigns supreme; a Nigeria that has a zero-tolerance for CORRUPTION, NEPOTISM and TRIBAL JINGOISM. We want a Nigeria where merit is not sacrificed in the altar of mediocrity and godfatherism. We want a Nigeria where some people are not above the law. If I may borrow a word from Barrister Onyekachi Ubani, I dream of a Nigeria where a private citizen will write a letter to a governor or a minister and get a prompt reply.

Beyond the razzmatazz of an amnesty, it is high time Nigeria articulated a ‘’Coherent and Comprehensive Terrorism, Counter-terrorism Policy/Strategy cum a National Defence/Military Policy/Strategy’’. I also advocate an ‘’Extensive Vulnerability or Resilience Test/Audit of Strategic Public Infrastructures in Nigeria’’. Let us do away with our fire-brigade approach and mentality. Let us do away with our predilection for randomly setting up committees and sub-committees every time something happens. Every thoughtful and security-minded country or individual, hopes for the best but prepares for the worst. A wise saying goes, after a battle, sharpen your sword.

We want lasting peace in Nigeria not a simulated/semblance of peace. We want lasting peace not sustained deferment of the evil day. Amnesty is tantamount to treating the symptom of a disease rather than exterminating the latent causative agent. The Boko Haram miasma is the butterfly-effect of a dysfunctional society. Something is not right with the foundation and structure of Nigeria. Urgent action must be taken against unprecedented corruption, acute poverty, culture of impunity/arrogance of power, soaring unemployment rate and whittling radical religious fundamentalism by run-of-the-mill clerics. Good governance will largely nip growing insecurity, instability and terrorism in Nigeria in the bud. Former President Obasanjo stated the obvious when he recently opined that, ‘’rising unemployment in Nigeria is a time-bomb’’.

Imagine the socio-economic transformation that will take place if the N6bn ‘Security Vote’ and the so-called ‘Constituency Allowance’ accruable to all 36 State governors and members of the National Assembly respectively are judiciously utilized and channeled into truly uplifting Nigerians.

A culture, penchant and antecedent of a promiscuous amnesty is a subtle invitation to future anarchy. The Igbo’s have a saying that ‘’aru gbaa afo, oburu omenala’’. In English this roughly translates to ‘’when a crime/atrocity lasts for too long, it becomes a culture’’ With an amnesty, we can presuppose that the likes of Kabiru Sokoto and other detained terrorist/insurgency suspects will now be left off the hook and given a pat on the back for a job well done. Brilliant precedent! Since what is good for the goose is also good for the gander, in the Spirit and Season of Presidential Pardon and amnesty, proponents of the foregoing, should also clamour for James Ibori and Henry Okah to be repatriated to Nigeria and lavished with this magnanimity. Perhaps very soon the United States government will also remove the name of the Boko Haram leader- Abubakar Shekau, from its list of most wanted ‘’global terrorists’’.

Our bane in Nigeria is paucity of healthy debates and our predilection for policy summersault. Recall President Jonathan recently said he cannot give amnesty to ghosts, now he has recanted. I sincerely sympathize with government appointees, especially in Nigeria. It’s not easy being one. Just few days ago, the Chief of Army Staff-Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika was busy spewing fire and brimstone during the Military-Media Relation Seminar in Lagos. The COAS was reported to have said that, ‘’only force will end the Boko Haram crises’. Now he will eat his words. The Service Chiefs were all smiles aftermath of their meeting with President Jonathan. In an ideal country, you will hear that so and so person has resigned his appointment because he does not agree with the position of the government on an issue. Not in Nigeria, business as usual.

My take is that the malaria drug (amnesty) that was used to simulate Peace in the Niger Delta may not necessarily work for a typhoid fever (the Boko Haram imbroglio). Right now MEND is threatening to resume hostilities. It appears they implemented their threat because a while ago, Niger Delta militants reportedly killed about 13 Police Officers in Bayelsa State. Of course the culprits of this dastardly act are still covered by Presidential amnesty immunity. From the foregoing, one can safely prognosticate that an amnesty for Boko Haram is not a guarantee that they will not relapse in the near future. Is that the type of peace we want in Nigeria? I have been around for a while and old enough to recall when the dreaded Maitatsine reigned terror in the northern part of Nigeria. Was it an amnesty that whittled this group? The symptom of the disease was treated and the disease has metamorphosed again. Empirical evidence suggests a more virulent Sect or breakaway faction of Boko Haram may just be in the offing.

At the risk over-egging the pudding or been dubbed a pessimist, I postulate that with or without negotiation/amnesty, pockets of sporadic terrorist incidents, kidnappings will persist across Nigeria unless far-reaching measures are taken to shrink abject poverty, unemployment, hopelessness, wanton corruption, religion fundamentalism and injustice.

So what is your take, do you think amnesty is the panacea to the Insecurity, Instability and the Boko Haram brouhaha bedeviling Nigeria? Is amnesty the magic wand that will bring lasting peace to Nigeria? Will an amnesty automatically obviate the philosophy and psyche of Boko Haram members? Will Boko Haram members also undergo psychotherapeutic courses abroad as part of the amnesty package to wean them their bloodletting streak? How much will this amnesty Project cost the government or will it be Private Sector driven? Taking a cue from the Niger Delta amnesty package, I am pretty sure that this time too monies will be doled out to Boko Haram amnesty beneficiaries. How will the government decipher real Boko Haram members and impostors that will want to avail themselves of the impending largesse? What happens to families that lost loved ones during the onslaught, will they be adequately compensated? Boko Haram is said to have an unholy alliance with Al-Qaida, if you exonerate the Nigerian elements, what happens to their external allies. Will they be given amnesty too?

With the setting up of the ‘Presidential Amnesty Panel’, what started as a mere speculation and a fairy tale now appears to be a fait accompli.

Given that this amnesty thing is fast becoming an ongoing thriving and money spinning industry in Nigeria, perhaps it is high time the Presidency established a full-fledged ‘Ministry of Amnesty Affairs’.

One of the traits I profoundly appreciate in Western democracies and advanced societies is the profundity of interesting debates on issues of national interest. An example is the ongoing Gun Control debate in the United States of America. Let us replicate the same in Nigeria.

I have noticed a deafening collective apathy towards discussing or debating the far-reaching implications of this blossoming amnesty industry in Nigeria. Please let us have a healthy, matured and intellectual public debate devoid of myopic ethnic or religious leanings before this haphazardly conceived concept is rammed into our throat. I am trying to stimulate a vigorous National public debate on this burning issue in Nigeria. Let superior reason prevail. Let the discussion continue in the streets, markets, on Social Media/Networking Platforms-FaceBook, Twitter, Print and Digital media etc. Stand up and be counted.

No individual or country will make meaningful progress in an atmosphere of unpredictability and wanton killings. Let’s make Nigeria great again! Let’s give peace a chance; nobody or group has a monopoly of wisdom or violence.

God bless Nigeria and Nigerians.

Don Okereke
(Security Analyst & Consultant)
Abuja, Nigeria
+2347080008285
donnuait@yahoo.com

Amnesty for boko haram is moral boaster for MASSOB to follow the footsteps of boko haram and do more havoc knowing too well that igbo leaders will ask government to grant them amnesty.

Many a times in Nigeria ill-conceived government Policies are rammed into the throat of Nigerians devoid of wide consultations and public debate or input.

I am trying to stimulate a vigorous National public debate on this burning issue in Nigeria.

Please let us avail ourselves this opportunity to make meaningful contributions and proffer solutions. I am puzzled by the apathy in making contributions here. Stand up and be counted!

Amnesty is just a temporal solution to insurgency in Nigeria.....

The people who shd fight along with the FG are not doing so infact they harbour insurgents cuz the GOVT has failed them too!!!


The solutions to insurgency are Good Governance,Transparency and Accountability,Preemptiveness and Proactiveness or else, there would be many more insurgencies to grant Amnesty!!!



Nigeria and pop-corn politics....!!!

@DonRosy

Thank for your contribution. Seems we are on the same page on this issue. Cheers

Are you guys following the dangerous psychological warfare that these BH folks are waging on the Nigerian people/government?

The latest information is that BH is still thinking about the amnesty proposal. They seem to have all the aces

confusion247: Amnesty for boko haram is moral boaster for MASSOB to follow the footsteps of boko haram and do more havoc knowing too well that igbo leaders will ask government to grant them amnesty.

Your problem is beyond therapy, you're not too far away from your name...What has Igbo and Massob got to do with this now? Do you guys ever leave Igbo out of your mouths?

@Topic,

NO, it isn't. Giving amnesty will be a dangerous precedence that may NEVER be overturned, it will give rise to future terrors of all sought, nonetheless, it will hasten the disintegration called Nigeria, after all we can live peacefully neither can we negotiate our terms.

we ar sick of this Bh. government shld try n do smt to this issue on ground

Amnesty is but a way to encourge other terrorists, thug factions to upstage their attacks as it will bring them the cake they ve all been longing for (which is amnesty).

I think they should not be granted amnesty

Without justice, amnesty is nothing short of stupidity. You can't reward the perpetrators of evil but leave the victims to nurse their wounds without justice, without compensation and without the needed assurance that such ll never happen again. It's a dangerous precedent if no one is ever punished for the violent crimes committed by Boko Haram.

Amnesty without justice is not the answer.

Since we do not have the know how in solving domestic issues when it comes to security for now(which is a shame) ,it is better to negotiate with one,two or three boko haramist group rather than not knowing whom to negotiate with in the future (I.e if there r too many groups,it becomes difficult to negotiate with them).

This is the case of mexico, it was easier for them negotiating with the narcotics in the 75's compare to what we are seeing today. You don't know who to negotiate with because of the numerous groups in the narco bandits.

Amnesty is a lazy quick fix, which has characterized the corrupt and inept reign in Nigeria. Why would we pay people for killing our citizens. Even if u want to bend a lil, why pay criminals, why not develop their place, make them self reliant, and not dole out cash.... What kind of brainless people do we have at the helm of affairs in this country

a

whatever that we make Nigeria beta I support the killing is too much

Ok

In the fight against boko haram the military option has failed, so what option remains other than a non-violent approach. In Afghanistan, Americans have only realised the fact that force is not always the winner after 10 years of bloodshed and are now talking with the taliban. Do those talking force-only with boko haram want the bloodshed to continue for 10 years in nigeria before FG ends it - by talking?

Will i call this biology note or what?
Don Okereke or whatever u call yoursef, how do u expect us to read all these long notes?

Also with ur phone numba and email, i bet u are kinda advertising smthing here.
Maybe u want a post up there!!!
Well, go ahead, we r behind u.

trying to draw parallel or comparing and contrasting between BH and militancy to me is a nobrainer. what should be our focus is the root of this hydra headed monster that manifest its self in differnt forms - the root is good governance and curruption. do u know there is even a greater and more serious threat brewing in the background, this threat has become so profound that auxilary crime sindicates are already growing out of it, and yet that threat is not yet manifest. (the threat is unemployed, energetic and frustrated graduates) we might not see it as a threat now but by the time it explodes on all our faces we will all be scrambling for solutions.

My group is warming up. We shall k?ill all abokis in the south east and demand 4 amnesty too. Who are they deceivin, nort'hern elders my foot

Amnesty was and is still a historical mistake...buying time and postponding anarchy. Any society that rewards crime is doomed. Amnesty to Niger Delta, After Bokoharam who next?

Granting amnesty to Boko-Haram will only worsen the situation.

My 2 cents!

We cannot keep bribing everybody! The daylight robbery that was FG sanctioned in the Niger Delta was the biggest mistake ever made in Nigeria. Has the Amnesty granted to the Niger Delta Militant improved the economy of the Area, NO. Instead these so-called billionaire-militant and millionaire-militant come to Lagos to show off!

We should stop believing we can just throw money at every problem in this country.

Government should instead focus on making Nigeria a better economic and social state. China did not become so large by spending money, they created the enabling environment to tap their biggest resource - WORKFORCE. Nothing stops Nigeria from feeding West Africa.

My House is a virtual power hub -

2 Generators
1 Inverter
2 UPS
Battery bank of 6 100AH

My Power Wish list still needs
4 Solar Panels
More Batteries
Wind Turbine

My House don turn Mini - Power Station

In a country like ours,where generals do not help the leadership,where the generals are not thoroughly able and intelligent,amnesty is the solution to insecurity and terrorism.

3m each and 100k per month no be beans o! igbo youth una dey hear?

.

Why should I patch a broken wall when I have the tools and material to replace it? Granting amnesty to terrorist without compensating those that died out of terrorist act, will further deepen the crisis in Northern Nigeria. BH of today is a branch of Northern Oligarchy.

Amnesty? No! Not at all! Amnesty is not d panacea to e problem of insecurity is this our beloved country

NUAIT!:


My take is that the malaria drug (amnesty) that was used to simulate Peace in the Niger Delta may not necessarily work for a typhoid fever (the Boko Haram imbroglio). Right now MEND is threatening to resume hostilities. It appears they implemented their threat because a while ago, Niger Delta militants reportedly killed about 13 Police Officers in Bayelsa State

Let us be clear on one thing: Police officers (and l detest those people so much because of their unpatriotic behavior to the poor citizenry) represent the "authority of the constitution" and any attack on any of our armed forces or Govt official in the discharge of their duty, is an attack on the country's sovereignty!
Killing officer "to make a point" is sheer terrorism and should not be mistaken with the original demand or agitation for better services and inclusion in wealth-sharing in the Niger delta.
Those who killed those officers need to be hunted down at all cost...ALL COST!
it has nothing to do with amnesty.

We must understand that if people take innocent life and then hide under amnesty, then we have laid the bed for further blackmail and more killings.
The Govt must draw a line between "wanton, senseless murder and moderate agitation for a just cause".


Amnesty is NOT the solution to a Criminal problem like that of Boko Haram because they do not seek peace, ab initio.

Amnesty is fast becoming a lucrative "business", like Kidnappings!

*BH is not fighting for ANY SOCIAL JUSTICE.

* They want an "Islamic enclave or Total Islamization of Nigeria, a Completely Secular Country"?

If they dont recognize the right of Christians to exist in Nigeria, why must Christians recognize their own right to exist as well? This is the crux of the matter.

*BH Kills indiscriminately while "freedom fighters" would first warn of an impending 'strike' so that ordinary civilians can be evacuated and such casualties limited.
BH is simply a terror organization that must be wiped out by all means necessary.

*BH has no clear objective except to wreak havoc and instil terror into the minds of Nigerians and its government.

*BH should have known that it cannot convert every Nigerian to Islam, even if you kill all Nigerians....thus their killings and bombings will never succeed and its a wanton waste of innocent lives.

*If BH wants political power, let them form an 'Islamic party' and contest elections. if they have the numbers and support, they would (and should) win and gain political power BUT they cant terrorize Nigerians into submission! BIG MISTAKE!!

*BH are not "Ghosts" but their "physical personalities" is being condoned, protected and nurtured by Islamic Elders in Northern Nigeria; does they appear as "ghosts" to the security forces!

Having said all these, the ineptness of the Nigerian Security forces is legendary.
It did not start today but to be candid, our security apparatus are not fit for purpose, when it comes to modern warfare or terrorism.
The training is mediocre, the morale is shameful, the equipments are obsolete and the political will is not only indecisive but extremely naive and weak!.

Issues like employment, good education, justice, abject poverty, intelligence gathering and management, zero tolerance for corruption especially amongst the political class, social cushion for the less privileged, clear and direct vision in terms of infrastructural developments (Power, Water, Roads, health), moral decadence and use of the "religious centers" to preach hatred and get rich quickly, are issued we need to tackle concurrently if we are to make the slightest semblance of progress in Nigeria.

With the way things are going currently, simply put, WE ARE FU.CKED!

We dont even have a Leader or 'group of leaders' (House of Assembly and Ministers) who understand the level of danger we are in or have the slightest idea of how to turn things around. Everyone is after Money! Money!! Money!!!

It is better to learn from other people's mistake that to go through the same "violent process".
Somalia and Rwanda 'combined", could be child's play, if we are not very careful.

If it were possible to "ERASE" the present crop of vipers and leeches masquerading as "Leaders" in Nigeria, maybe we would have started the "healing process" and sent a strong signal that "Nigeria is no longer business as usual"... to everyone.
Strange that when we needed an "Idiagbon", we got ourselves a Jonathan! Its a big, fat, shame on us.

Lastpage!

NB: The "Pant-Bomber" Abdulmutahllab was well educated, from a rich background and did not suffer any "poverty" in his life, yet he chose to be a suicide bomber! food for thought.

SE and SS are the problem of Nigeria. When oga jona grant pardon for alam and we all know that is wrong but the ss and se see nothing wrong with that, it is only N and SW that condemn the barbaric act. Now it is your turn to be hurt by oga jona to grant amnesty to boko haram. Me I think it is only us in the north that oga jona is hurting not knowing that he will also hurt his brethren.