Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso yesterday called on the security agencies to release without further delay suspected Boko Haram members detained over spate of bombings in the country.

He said the suspects continued detention breached their constitutional rights which stipulate they are either released or charged to court within a stipulated time.

The governor disclosed this when he granted unconditional pardon to 20 prisoners yesterday as part of his Sallah gesture. As he spoke, the National League of Veteran Journalists appealed to Boko Haram to sheathe their swords and embrace peace.

Governor Kwankwaso told newsmen that there was no justification whatsoever for the continued detention of the members of the religious sect. Kwankwaso revealed that the state government was surprised about the story, which was published (not in Daily Sun) on August 28, on the purported arrest of Boko Haram members at the instance of the state government and the Emirate Council.

He noted that at no time did the state government ever authorised any security agency to arrest or detain any member of any religious group. 'As a government, we consider all Islamic and Christian religious sects the same. It is the duty of government to embrace all religious groups toward peaceful coexistence among citizens,' he said. The governor stated that contrary to the report, the state government was unaware of the alleged arrest of any member of any religious group, neither did it order the detention of Boko Haram members.

'But if there is any member of the sect in detention, I am hereby calling on the security agencies to either release or charge such person or persons to court within the time stipulated by the Constitution,' he said.

Governor Kwankwaso noted that the state government was working assiduously to promote peace and harmony among all the religious groups.

He assured the people of his administration's determination to safeguard the lives and property of the people at all times, adding that his government placed high premium on the security of the citizens. Earlier at the Kano Central Prison, Governor Kwankwaso said a committee on prerogative of mercy carefully selected those who benefitted from his clemency, which he said was a gesture made in the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan and Eid-el-Fitr.

The veteran journalists' group in a statement signed yesterday by the President, Otunba Eddie Aderinokun and Secretary, Mr. Ben Lawrence, said the Boko Haram sect was blackmailing Islam and Prophet Muhammed by its wanton shedding of innocent blood. He said Islam preached peace and enjoined all its faithful to live in harmony with others. The veteran journalists described bombers of the United Nations office in Abuja as demented fanatics.

'He called them fiends in human form that should be condemned by all Muslims for blackmailing Islam,' the League stated. The statement said: 'There were evident injustices and inequity but remarked that Islam should not be procured as a tool to confront these evils that threaten the peace and change order of Nigeria. It should be a collective crusade for change. Veteran journalists wondered why Boko Haram bombers chose the United Nations in Abuja to avenge their anger.

'What offence has the UN committed in Nigeria? Is it by coming to the aid of kwashiokor children or providing relief in time of natural disasters and emergencies?' The League advised the leaders of Boko Haram to rethink their methods of seeking redress because violence paid no dividends and could not be the monopoly of any group or sect.

The League appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to set in motion a machinery of restructuring Nigeria to give the six geo-political zones each a sense of belonging in order to federate positively. 'Violence is drawing Nigeria back and if the six zones loosely separate for self-evaluation, it will augur for more understanding, economic and social development.

For a positive political order, really, there is need to revisit the article of association that bound us at independence,' said the League. It praised the mature and professional way the Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. Labaran Maku, has handled the emergency so far, not to cause undue alarm. 'It is pragmatic and practical method because he assured us by his action that fiends seeking the limelight cannot destroy the freedom Nigerians enjoy. A talkative information minister would have set Nigeria alight by his comments.'

The League urged the Nigerian intelligence community to be more creative in order to pin down the brains behind this wanton destruction of life and property. It concluded that the real solution was the creation of a just society and not the ultra-capitalistic system, which had seized the people's wealth for the benefit of a few, resulting in unemployment, election rigging, ill-maintained roads and collapsed power supply.

Obiagelli: op continue spreading lies, we are still waiting for the 101 schools he built in Niger Republic.

Olastep: So, you cant report any voilent activity of a sect to the security agencies? And yet, calling on same to release those caught red-handed bombing churches and houses?



Just because you've joined APC?


This new wave of propangada wont make me vote for APC, mark my words

solomon111: where's the lie?
Is that not a credible source,or is this the first time that a northern governor is asking for the release of BH members?

solomon111: where's the lie?
Is that not a credible source,or is this the first time that a northern governor is asking for the release of BH members?

Obiagelli: op continue spreading lies, we are still waiting for the 101 schools he built in Niger Republic.

donphilopus: Did you bother to check the date??

solomon111: The date does not invalidate the message,as long as the morønic governor has not renounced his earlier statements.

donphilopus: If you go through it, you would see where he said "they should either be charged to court, or be released".

solomon111: That's nonsense.
There's a state of emergency in place which gives the military, rights to hold a suspected terrorist beyond 72 hours without charging him/her to court atleast until they've finished with their investigations or cross-examination or for the sake of national security.
Even america the so-called bastion of human rights have places like guantanamo where terrorists are cross-examined for as long as possible without charging them to court.
Your morønic governor is a terrorist.

donphilopus: Lol... He was still a PDP Governor as at time he made this statement! Besides, I don't see anything wrong in saying the terrorists should be charged to court or released.

solomon111: That's nonsense.
There's a state of emergency in place which gives the military, rights to hold a suspected terrorist beyond 72 hours without charging him/her to court atleast until they've finished with their investigations or cross-examination or for the sake of national security.
Even america the so-called bastion of human rights have places like guantanamo where terrorists are cross-examined for as long as possible without charging them to court.
Your morønic governor is a terrorist.

alaoeri:
I doubt it if u read the report & comprehend, its during the last sallah period, he visited the prison & freed 20prisoners, asked those dealing with BH issues to speed up actions on the suspects.

solomon111: A pdp governor?
I thought kwankawaso was now a progressive and even in the running for the best governor in 2013 according to you APC folks.
You can't tell me that kwankawaso was bad market all along and yet APC still wooed him.

donphilopus: I never said he wasn't good! Kwankwaso is one of the best Governor in Nigeria presently!

solomon111: A morøn, covert supporter of fundamentalists,and totally oblivious of Nigerian laws is your best governor?
No wonder your views are mind-boggling.

donphilopus: You know you so-called Uduaghan can't stand him!

solomon111: uduaghan is a morøn.
I won't argue over that.
But then atleast,he does not support militants.

Olastep: So, you cant report any voilent activity of a sect to the security agencies? And yet, calling on same to release those caught red-handed bombing churches and houses?



Just because you've joined APC?


This new wave of propangada wont make me vote for APC, mark my words