FG to compensate Boko Haram victims – Jonathan

* …inaugurates amnesty, light weapons committees

* Says soldiers indicted in Borno won’t be spared

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North would be compensated by the Federal Government.

This is even as reports from Baga, Borno State, where more than 185 people were killed in a clash between the Boko Haram Islamic sect and the Joint Task Force, JTF, indicated that scores of people were still missing.

President Jonathan, while inaugurating the committees on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of the Security Challenges in the North and Small Arms and Light Weapons, lamented that many people had fallen victims of the insurgency.

The committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of the Security Challenges in the North, however, included the President of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, SCSN, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmed, and the President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, CRCN, Shehu Sani, two members who had earlier declined their membership of the committee.

The President had on Tuesday also included Barrister Aisha Wakil, to join the committee.

Inaugurating the two committees in Abuja, the President charged them to engage stakeholders to end the lingering insecurity in the country.

He told the dialogue committee, which he addressed as “bigger committee” that Nigerians expected them to perform “magic” and prayed that such “magic” be achieved within the time frame given the committee.

President Jonathan urged the committee to develop a framework for disarmament and work out a sustainable option that could lead to granting amnesty to the dreaded sect.

The President also charged them to develop a comprehensive victims’ support programme, as according to him, a large number of people are victims of the excesses of Boko Haram insurgent group.

He said: “As we are trying to address the issue of Boko Haram, we must also comprehensively address the issues directly affecting the people. They must also come up with suggestions on how to address underlining causes of the crisis in order to ensure that as a nation, we do not face a similar threat in the future.

“In as much as we appreciate that in any human situation there must be disputes, disagreements and conflicts, but if we know about these and we have a good approach early enough, I believe that it will not degenerate to the situation we have today.”

Members of the committee include the Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, (Chairman); Sheik Ahmed Lemu, Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Col. Musa Shehu (rtd.), Sheik Abubakar Tureta; Dr. Datti Ahmed, Senator Sodangi Abubakar, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Hon. Mohammed B. Matawalle.

Others are Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim, Shehu Sani; Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed, Mallam Adamu Ladan, Dr. Joseph Golwa, Air Vice-Marshal A. I. Shehu, Mr. R. I. Nkemdirim, DIG P. I. Leha and Prof. Nur Alkali.

The list includes Mallam Salihu Abubakar, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Lugga, Barrister Ibrahim Tahir, Brig.- Gen. Ibrahim Sabo, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, Group Capt. Bilal Bulama (rtd), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and a representative of the Office of the Secretary- General of the Federation, OSGF, (Secretary)

President Jonathan also said that the setting up of the committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to bring end to violence in the country.

He lamented that the effects of small arms and light weapons on the continent, while calling on producers to consider their harmful effects.

While declaring that the committee was not a task force set out to enforce rules and regulations, he emphasised it was meant to provide government with necessary advice to mitigate the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Members of the committee are Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe (Chairman); Director, International Organisations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretary); Ambassador Ghali Umar, Ambassador B. G. Wakil, Mr. Opelusi Olureti and a representative of the Ministry of Interior.

Others are representative of the National Security Adviser, NSA a representative of the Director-General, State Security Service, SSS a representative of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, a representative of Federal Ministry of Justice, a representative of Ministry of Defence and a representative of the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA.

The list includes a representative of the Nigeria Police Force; a representative of the Nigerian Customs Service; a representative of OSGF and Ambassadors Martin Uhomoibhi and Dan Hart.

The President vowed that any military officer found guilty of misconduct in the weekend massacre in Baga, would be brought to justice.

He said the killing was being investigated.

“I will tell Nigerians and the community that government will take steps to make sure that if errors are made, that such people are cautioned and treated in line with our own laws and regulations,” the President said.

In a related development, residents of Baga are still searching for their missing relatives who have not be seen since the weekend clash.

This is even as the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, yesterday said in an online statement signed by its Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, that the perpetrators of the crime should be fished out and punished in accordance to the law.

The statement also called on Imams to begin Al-Qunuut prayers in all their five daily prayers for ease and relief of the incident.

In Lagos, the United States, through its Consul- General in Nigeria, Jeffrey Hawkins, cautioned the Federal Government on application of force in fight against terrorism and insurgency in the country.

Hawkins implored the government to addresses the economic and political exclusion of vulnerable communities in the North.

Hawkins, while condemning the senseless acts of terror carried out by Boko Haram and other groups expressed United States commitment toward seeing Nigeria remain a stable, peaceful and unified country.

His words: “As an ally of Nigeria, the United States is deeply interested in seeing Nigeria remain stable, peaceful and unified country. For that reason, we condemn the senseless acts of terror carried out by groups such as Boko Haram and Ansaru. The United States has also experienced the pain of terrorist attacks, most recently in Boston, and we stand by our Nigerian friends as they confront this menace.

“As the Nigerian government deals with key security challenges, we continue to emphasize that extremist violence requires a comprehensive security strategy that is not only predicated on a force-based approach, but on that also addresses the economic and political exclusion of vulnerable communities in the North. Heavy-handed tactics by security forces strengthen a perception that the government is unjust and abusive, which extremists have capitalised upon.”

Meanwhile, military and police high commands in Kano yesterday placed their men on red alert in the aftermath of the murderous incident in Baga.

National Mirror investigations revealed that series of meetings were held at the various headquarters of the security agencies in Kano apparently to discuss the development in Baga located North of Borno State where gunmen are known to have laid held sway.

It was further learnt that the security gathering was to also discuss ways of further fortifying security in Kano as well as ward-off any spillover of the disturbing situation in the Borno community to Kano, one of the Northern states that have been under the grip of the Boko Haram sect.

The AIG held closeddoor discussions with police commissioners in his zone, comprising Kano, Jigawa and Katsina with the area commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in attendance.

Speaking in a chat with our correspondent after the meeting, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Musa Daura, admitted that the security gathering was informed by the massacre in the Borno.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/fg-to-compensate-boko-haram-victims-jonathan/

i cld nt ready all dis long story to see where JEG said they wld compensate BH members.

But if that it true, then Nigeria shld get ready to compensate 4.5million jobless youths who may take to arms next.

Op, EDIT UR TOPIC! compensation was never mentioned. verify in the quotes below»»

''The President also charged them to develop a comprehensive victims’ support programme, as according to him, a large number of people are victims of the excesses of Boko Haram insurgent group.

He said: “As we are trying to address the issue of Boko Haram, we must also comprehensively address the issues directly affecting the people. They must also come up with suggestions on how to address underlining causes of the crisis in order to ensure that as a nation, we do not face a similar threat in the future.''

However, the same victim support support must be extended to all the farming settlement that have become perpertual victims of terrorist herdsmen especially allover the plateau/kaduna/benue axis

would that bring back the lives that has been lost

Jona, wise up and wake up.

Instead the huge amount the government is spending on amnesty and settlements, they rather make provision for youth empowerment and loans for traders to reduce the rate of crime that is leading to amnesty and settlement here and there.

I85 civilians were killed n they said they r fighting BH, its unfortunate wlh

Hey there '`'`'`'`'` even if compensation is mentioned in the article, it's to the victims not to the Boko haram.

Wetin dat Ninja dey do for dat pix?

Who is that black masquerade?

SMH

Compensating them won't bring back their loved ones and it doesn't cover up the government's ineptitude in dealing with this boko haram menace.

wetin dem come dey snap pictur for? mtscheeew

Why is it that the committee is made up of only Northerns, Who is that Masquerade beside GEJ. I smell something fishy here. How will it be possible to compensate Igbos dat lost their loved ones. I thought GEJ would have included some relations of these victims in the committee. I rest my case

AFOLSNETWORKS: i cld nt ready all dis long story to see where JEG said they wld compensate BH members.

But if that it true, then Nigeria shld get ready to compensate 4.5million jobless youths who may take to arms next.

You are very right, before it was NigerDelta Militants, now it is Boko Haram, later it will be something else. Why can't FG solve the root cause of all these problems-UNEMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL AMENITIES, ETC.

Mohammed Amin Abdullahi wrote this about the mysterious veiled woman on the BH amnesty committee...
"Barr. Aisha Wakil,i would say is a mysterious woman.She is Igbo by tribe and was a christian during her education in Unimaid many years ago.She convertedto Islam when Inscriptions of verses from the Holy QUR'AN started appearing on herskin. Members of the sect became so close to her that they even called her mummy.They visited her house at will,sheeven sold her valuables to feed them.Just to convince them to drop their weapons.There was a time she seized from them and burnt a note book,containing ­ the lists of people killed and those to be killed.Alot of them confessed to her that they were fed up with the sect activities.She has been trying to convince the sect members to stop their insurgency long before the issue of dialogue and amnesty started.I got to know all these because she is a close friend of my sister's,who is also a human rights activist.I once drove my sister whose name i don't want to mentionhere,to Aisha's house and had the opportunity of seeing the sect members."
What a story!!! No matter how it sounds, I thought someone should have advised heron that dressing. When you are taking up a National Assignment of this nature at least we should see your face. Yeah, you will tell me she has the right to wear that and all, yes, I know. Is it however appropriate? In my own opinion she shouldhave just turned down the offer because the last time I check women who dress up like that don't shake men. She was shaking the President in that picture and exposing her bare hand. She should have worn a hand glove, don't you think?

Dovahkiin: SMH

Is Lagbaja a member of the committee?

can any form of compensation equate a lost life? Jona and all do the right thing, learn from what happened in the USA of recent. the police and the authority put a whole town in hostage until the suspect was found, we are here compensating. i pray your families experience what the common man experience in this country.

If BH are paid 50,000naira monthly then d victims must be paid 100,000naira monthly. D victims must be twice compensated. Finally unemployed youths should be given unemployment allowances. Fellow Nigerians I present a new terror group known as UNEMPLOYMENT HARAM = JOB HALAL

AFOLSNETWORKS: i cld nt ready all dis long story to see where JEG said they wld compensate BH members.

But if that it true, then Nigeria shld get ready to compensate 4.5million jobless youths who may take to arms next.

Edit your comment, Mr Mungo Park.

UNEMPLOYMENT HARAM=JOB HALAL This terror group will kidnap elected/appointed political leaders and their love ones. The ransom payment will be an industry for every kidnapped person. Recruitment into this group is free and one of your duty is to re-echo it.

Jst slept. Off wen I was reading d post



Who is dat masquerade near GEJ

nnafather:
Is Lagbaja a member of the committee?

lmaoo looks more like sub zero or smoke

Is that diezani in ninja style?

This country has no future for the youths, not under those old looking gluttons.

BH like all other insurgencies in the country is has arisen out of the corruption, deliberate underdevelopment by present & past govts. at all levels & criminal procurement and distribution of weapons by politicians whether in govt or in the opposition to achieve their selfish interests, which in turn has fueled religious extremism. The people are only naturally reacting by venting their anger at everyone out of ignorance. The criminal element is only a derivative of the problem just like we have armed robbery & kidnapping the south.
This is the problem with Nigeria: All we know how to do is to throw money at our problems. There is no strategic approach to address our problems that is why our problems never go away and continue to multiply and mutate. The Niger Delta problem is still there. We chose the easy way out with amnesty and it has now mutated into a serious Crude Oil Theft (including Illegal refineries) problem which is costing the Nation over $12 Billion annually not to mention the serious environmental degradation going on there. Why do we like running around in circles? What are the root causes of these insurgencies OPC in the south west, BH in the North & "Bakassi boys" in the south east (now responsible for the kidnapping industry there). It is the all same: groups of people are armed by politicians to pursue there narrow minded interests. Upon achievement or otherwise of these, the people are abandoned with their weapons to fend for themselves. They then develop their own objectives and interests and use the weapons in their possession to achieve them. In Nigeria we never get to the root causes of our problems; instead all we do is to set up more & more ad-hoc committees to solve problems that border on the fundamentals of our existence. That is why we will remained an underdeveloped country, no matter how much FDI we claim to attract.
Nigeria is not the only country with problems facing it. The difference between the developed countries and us are
1. Where there is a crime, it is investigated and punishment must follow no matter how long it takes and who is involved. Until we address the source of the arms used by these insurgents we will keep granting amnesty to thieves instead of punishing them.
2. National interest overrides any other interest as the overall interest of the people take precedence
3. Governace is goes beyond awarding contract to build roads, schools, hospitals, provide water, build Airports, etc. It is much much more strategic and ideological must go beyond the physical structures we rush to put up and term "dividends of democracy". Eg. What is the aim of our education policy? Just to graduate people with first class or 2.1, who can’t write simple applications or essays, let alone think for themselves....................
4. External influences in the lives & workings of the nation are reduced to the barest minimum. China, Norway, Singapore, Swissaland , Luxemburg, Japan ,Denmark , Brazil, South Korea etc are all examples of countries who took their own individual paths to development. They are all at various stages of development but one thing common to them is how they have made advancements and still protected their own individuals identities from the "inferiority complex syndrome" of the West.

I can go on and on but if we continue to chase shadows and dodge asking the right questions we will never move forward as a nation....................................

AFOLSNETWORKS: i cld nt ready all dis long story to see where JEG said they wld compensate BH members.

But if that it true, then Nigeria shld get ready to compensate 4.5million jobless youths who may take to arms next.

U r big fool of first oder u sabi english he means compensate d effect ppl dat BH boys emblzz there property, b coss u r fool nd tink wit ur anus u r tinkig dat he compensate d BH bOys. Abeg go back 2 skul nd redow ur QE course

debtech:

You are very right, before it was NigerDelta Militants, now it is Boko Haram, later it will be something else. Why can't FG solve the root cause of all these problems-UNEMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL AMENITIES, ETC.

So u 2 tink wit ur anus lyk him he mean d victim of bh boys who r effected dnt. Uunderstand english read d post again mumu mtsw

Terrorist dont deserve compensation but death sentence.

nnafather: Who is that black masquerade?

BOKO HARAM REPRESENTATIVE or don't you know that Boko Haram are GHOSTS?

the_ripper3: Wetin dat Ninja dey do for dat pix?

lmao na nigerian ninja aka boko haram