In its latest offensive against Boko Haram, the federal government has decided to officially declare the Islamic sect a "terrorist organisation", a designation it has shied away from labelling the group since it started its attacks in the country four years ago.

The decision by the federal government coincided with the $7 million bounty offered by the United States Government for the capture of the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, and the declaration by the Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, that the time for amnesty for members of Boko Haram was not ripe.

THISDAY learnt exclusively last night that the federal government was preparing to issue a Proscription Order declaring the group a “terrorist organisation”, a designation the Nigerian government had lobbied the US government not to use when it froze the US-based assets belonging to Shekau and three other members of the sect a year ago.

Disclosing this, an official in the Ministry of Defence in Abuja said the Proscription Order would be made by the federal government before the week runs out and was intended to show its commitment to defeat Boko Haram and make Nigeria a secure country for its people.

He welcomed the bounty placed by the US on Shekau and other terrorists in West Africa, saying they constitute a clear and present danger to the future of several countries in the sub-region.

Also, in what may be regarded as a departure from the position of several leaders of northern extraction, Aliyu said that the time for amnesty for members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram was not ripe, adding that the nation was in a defining period where investigations should not be limited to the sect alone, but also to its sponsors.

Making this known yesterday in Minna, the Niger State capital, when the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North paid him a courtesy call, Aliyu said: “We must go deeper than simple cosmetic changes in our society. I want you to bring out the sponsors, because they don't mean well for this country.”

Aliyu added that the issues were beyond taking arms, noting that those who had not taken arms but instigated people to do so are more dangerous than those who had taken arms.

In a veiled reference to the crisis in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of which he is a member, the governor drew a parallel between the lack of internal democracy in political parties and insecurity in the country, stating that there would be no peace in the country if internal democracy is not entrenched in political parties.

According to Aliyu, a nation where people are always threatened would not bear fruits of peace, observing that Nigerians expect a difference from what had obtained in the military era.

“We keep making excuses for our military background but what attempt are we making to see that we institute and entrench democracy in our country because the political parties have no internal democracy apart from threats and what have you.
“Apart from threats, you don't hear people negotiating and I thought politics was all about negotiation. But these days, people don't want to negotiate.

“Those who think of only threat as a democratic principle should have a rethink because we need to negotiate,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the committee and Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, said the committee was on a nationwide tour to interact with stakeholders that would enable it proffer solutions to the insurgency.

He debunked claims that the imposition of emergency rule on three North-eastern states may stall the activities of his committee, maintaining that the declaration had been of tremendous assistance as it had encouraged people to come out and give information to the security forces.

“Before the state of emergency, people from the affected states were not confident to come out with information but today we receive more information from the states.

“I can assure Nigerians that the emergency rule cannot and is not going to affect the committee's assignment,” Turaki said.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-to-declare-sect-terrorist-organisation/149358/

So 'shekau' even has US based assets? Interesting!

Shekau's assets in US frozen? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahh!
Do these guys have assets even here in nigeria that can be frozen? And they are talking of US assets!
Haba, they should spin an intelligent yarn.

Imagine, what are they(B/Haram) before? mtcheeew!

what are they before .....boy scout?

2nd to comment... dancing Antenna!

Please pardon me for laughing at something serious but the truth is our government is a joke. Na now their eyes open na...

Any way, me go stay watch wetin go be the outcome of wetin dem declare, if e go really stop the attacks on innocent citizens.

BTW, I no even read the whole story, it was too long.


Moral: Read the headline, then comment... People will like your comment.

Abeg make una like my comment, make e get 150 Likes.

[size=32pt]BOKO[/size] NA RAM, TERRORIST GROUP

So the FG had to wait for the US to place a bounty on Shekau before they declare Boko haram as a terrorist organisation.?

Why wait for d US to 1st place a bounty on him b4 we do the obvious. We could have used some of 'JackBauer's ' help b4 thngs got this messy

samnazarit: Imagine, what are they(B/Haram) before? mtcheeew!

Kporakpor.

US based assets...
God punish these usless sects.

Eyin le sabi.

So they want to wait until Boko Haram hits 1 Million dead people before officialy declaring it a terrorist group? SMH. . . please don't declare it a terrorist group, it's an NGO.

Long over due

haven't they been terrorists all their lives?

i wonder why the govt has not declared them a terrorist organosation all this while....if they are not a terrorist organisation then i wonder what they are....a charity organisation??

ANYHOW SHA! SO B4 NA NSCDC DEM BE?!

Good

It don,t matter what they are called,hence they pick up guy agains there people,for me i just want them all killed. Named them Terrorist or Boko Haram,all i know is that they are killing our people for nting.

Lol. Na Social Club them be before

Yomieluv: what are they before .....boy scout?

it's not oficial before, now it will be official.

Mattaz arising: what happens to d BokoHaram amnesty komity after boko are labelled terrorists, wld they kip choping our money indefinitely in d name of 'interracting with stake holders? ; ASSUMING shekau accepts d amnesty offer, wld GEJ rili grant amnesty to boko nw dat hez a global terrorists?? ; arent these northern pipu making GEJ luk lyk a puppet They sing for amnesty, Presido dances. Nw dat Aliyu is talkn frm d other side of hez mouth, otherz are sure to follow suit. They wldnt want to be seen by d US to b supporting a terrorist network b4 their assets abroad are also frozen

J12: So the FG had to wait for the US to place a bounty on Shekau before they declare Boko haram as a terrorist organisation.?

he wan hide under the umbrella of US. Hahahahahaha...jona jona.

If buhari commit suicide na GEJ we go hold oh, the boys wey im wan use rig election don die finish and im no come get kwudi, chei, see 2015 see buhari...

Ok,they were advocate of peace before. Na now them wan be terrorist.

Boko Haram is not a terrorist organisation they are a debating society sometimes their arguments get heated and explosive

This is good. But why wait this long before naming them as a terrorist organisation

So they are just declearing now?
As if we no know b4

omonnakoda: Boko Haram is not a terrorist organisation they are a debating society sometimes their arguments get heated and explosive

Twisted brain na im you get ma man! Chai LWKMD

papaejima1:

Twisted brain na im you get ma man! Chai LWKMD

All you have to do is put forward your argument they are often persuaded by superior logic/arguments