“Surprisingly, the Nigerian government is talking about granting us amnesty. What wrong have we done? On the contrary, it is we that should grant you a pardon.

With the above statement, fundamentalist Islamist sect, Boko Haram, punctured the much talked about amnesty being proposed by the federal government, amidst mounting pressure from some sections of Nigerians, especially the Northern elite. To these ones, the practical way the government can put a stop to the recurrent bloodletting in the country is by granting official pardon to the sect as it was done to militants in the Niger Delta and then rehabilitating them into the larger family of Nigeria.

While many of these elites are soliciting and advocating amnesty for Boko Haram, none bothered to enquire from the sect and its leaders if it really wanted to make peace with the government by accepting the olive branch extended to it by the government. It is also apparent that these amnesty advocates do not have any option available to explore in the eventuality that the sect rejects the amnesty.

But to many right thinking Nigerians, who have been following the pro- and anti- amnesty debate over the past two weeks or so, the statement by the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, rejecting the idea of amnesty from the federal government was more than anticipated. This is because the sect had never for one day asked or begged the government for amnesty. From all indications, the sect has belied the federal government’s ‘we are winning the war’ and ‘we are on top of the situation’ rhetoric whenever a bomb goes off, leaving in its trail death and destruction. Despite massive manhunt by operatives of Joint Task Force (JTF), the sect is becoming emboldened on a daily basis.

By advocating for pardon for Boko Haram, the Northern elites and other amnesty backers have therefore turned themselves into unsolicited spokespersons for the sect. While they believe amnesty to the sect will be the magical elixir needed to put an end to the insurgency quagmire still beats the imagination of many Nigerians. Why advocate amnesty for a sect that has not hidden its desire to forcefully convert a multi –religious country like Nigeria into an Islamic nation, beginning with Mr. President and his household? Some critics have asked. They also ask: What has happened to freedom of religion and association as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic? These were part of reactions to the setting up of the amnesty committee for Boko Haram by the Federal Government.

The report that President Goodluck Jonathan had set up an amnesty committee after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, preceded by a parley he had hours earlier with the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), was greeted with mixed reactions from concerned Nigerians. While many condemned the president for pandering to the wishes and desires of the Northern elders, others believe the move is a welcome development if it can achieve the objectives for which it was intended.

Former military Head of State and Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), during a recent visit to Ikenne, Ogun State threw his weight behind the federal government’s consideration of clemency for the sect, and lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for the establishment of the amnesty committee.

Buhari who likened the Boko Haram insurgency to what obtains in the Niger Delta said whatever should be done by the federal government to ensure lasting peace in the country should be given utmost priority and attention by the federal government.

“It is good that they have set up a committee on amnesty. I have not seen the terms of reference but it is a right step in the right direction. This is not the first time amnesty would be given to a violent group. You remember it happened in the time of Yar’Adua when he gave amnesty to the militant groups (in the Niger Delta). Whatever it takes to bring peace as a society, we should do it,” he said.

Buhari’s position, however, differed from that of former Presidential candidate, Olapade Agoro, who condemned the move saying amnesty to the group will be counter-productive as the federal government will be empowering the group to continue the onslaught on a greater magnitude while also encouraging other would-be terrorists to take up arms against the government.

His words: “First and foremost, Mr. President is already mortgaging his position. He is telling the world that he lacks the will expected to deal with terrorism and insurgency. How can a man that said Boko Haram members have infiltrated his government now turn around and say they are faceless? It will be stupid of any leader to talk of granting Boko Haram amnesty. By the time you give them money in the name of amnesty, you are empowering them to continue the onslaught. You are giving them enough fuel and arming them to fight the nation. The Northern elders know Mr. President is hotly pursuing 2015 ambition. What they are waiting for is enough money to arm their insurgent groups and to have enough resources to campaign against the president. That is all. So, by listening to the Northern leaders’ call for amnesty, Jonathan wants to arm the sect against himself.

“Before we talk of amnesty for Boko Haram, they must first come into the open, hand over all their war weapons, surrender them to the Federal Government. Then you can begin to talk of amnesty. That is the way it operated in the Niger Delta. They first came to the open, then surrendered their weapons and all Nigerians saw it, and then they were granted amnesty and there was ceasefire. But how can we talk about granting amnesty to Boko Haram? We don’t even know them, neither do we know the weapons they use, while Sultan of Sokoto is talking about granting them amnesty. The fight by the Niger Delta militants is to draw attention to their plight, but Boko Haram, we don’t know what they are fighting for.

“The process of amnesty must first begin with being remorse. Let the sect come out and say we are no longer fighting. Until that is done, the talk of amnesty is completely ruled out.”

In his reaction, Secretary-General of the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), Senator Anthony Adefuye, had also condemned the move, saying Boko Haram has not shown any remorse to warrant being granted amnesty by the government.

He said: “You grant amnesty to those who offend you, even before they surrender, I don’t think that is good enough. Before you grant amnesty, you must capture the opponent first, and then he will surrender to you and then you grant amnesty for the purpose of peace. But what we are trying to do is to institutionalize revolt. Anybody can now confront and attack you and cause mayhem, once you cannot stop him, you begin to negotiate amnesty with the belief that if we don’t grant them amnesty, they will continue to bomb and destroy our pipelines. See, we are not a nation yet. Any nation that is doing that is not a nation.

“Nations must be strong and have a standing army to defend both internally and externally and you must defend in such a way that the terrorist, insurgents or militants will accept you as a superior power and then you now grant amnesty. But not anybody just going about bombing churches, mosques and killing innocent Nigerians. Now, how can you grant amnesty to a faceless people. Now, militants in the South South have been granted amnesty, now Boko Haram, and you are going to grant them amnesty and, of course, it will also become the turn of the South West – OPC will also start and at the end of the day, after losing so many lives, you grant amnesty.”

To some sections of Nigeria, President Jonathan has been vindicated by the sect’s rejection of the amnesty offer. Before the amnesty committee was set up, the belief of the Northern elders was that amnesty to the sect is the only solution to the insecurity crises rocking the nation. By the President’s initial position of “not granting amnesty to faceless ghosts”, thus rejecting the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar’s appeal for amnesty for the sect, many also labeled the president as an enemy of the north who takes delight in the Pakistanisation of the region’s economy.

Notwithstanding, some observers have asked, now that the Federal Government has decided to embrace the amnesty option which Boko Haram has rejected, what next? Will the proponents of amnesty call on the government to apply force in quelling the insurgency or will they continue to cajole and appeal to the group to accept the amnesty offer, especially when the group cannot be said to be fighting a justifiable war?

In their views, if the Mountain does not come to Mohammned, Mohammed will surely go to the Mountain. If Boko Haram believes granting amnesty to the federal government for the killing of its founder, Yusuf Muhammed, is the only way to put an end to the orgy of killings that has dispatched thousands of Nigerians to the great beyond and rendered many others incapacitated for life, then it should go ahead.

According to them, the Federal Government has fired the first shot on the amnesty offer to Boko Haram but if Boko Haram believes it should be the other way round, let them pardon the Federal Government and sheathe their swords. Enough of bloodletting in the country. We must join hands to build a strong, virile, united and prosperous Nigeria.

This bokoharam wahala tire me oh. God bless biafra jor.