Says
kidnapped students are in good health, not all of them were converted to Islam
Council of State: There will soon be good news on schoolgirls
Jaiyeola Andrews and Michael Olugbode with agency report
Council of State: There will soon be good news on schoolgirls
Jaiyeola Andrews and Michael Olugbode with agency report
A man
claiming to be a member of Boko Haram has maintained that the federal
government must
release its members detained in numerous facilities nationwide
before the terrorist group releases the 219 Chibok schoolgirls it has held in
captivity for almost three months.This came as the National Council of State (NCS), at the end of its meeting yesterday, assured the Nigerian public that schoolgirls will be rescued very soon but failed to give detail as to how this would be achieved.
The
federal government had given the same assurance Monday when the Coordinator of
the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri said the girls would soon be
freed.
Speaking
on the BBC World Service, the man whose voice was disguised in order to conceal
his identity, said he was a teacher or scholar in the sect and joined the group
in 2004.
He told
the BBC that the girls were in “a state of amnesty”, healthy and eating well,
adding that the Christians who refused to convert to Islam were not forced to
do so as it is anti-Islamic.
The Boko
Haram member maintained that the girls were taken for a specific reason and
reiterated the condition for their release, adding that the girls would be
released once the federal government met the terrorist group’s demands for a
prisoner exchange deal.
“Today, if
the government releases our members, tomorrow or the next day, we promise you
can see all of them. As our leader Abubakar Shekau promised to the media, if
the government releases our members, we will release them.”
On the
condition of the girls, the Boko Haram teacher said: “I am telling a fact, they
are in a state of amnesty, they don’t have a problem. Some of them have belief
in Islam, some of them said they will not convert to Islam, but we did not
differentiate. We are not forcing them or putting them under any pressure.
“Those who
agreed to convert to Islam have been converted and those who refused we left
them, we said stay. There is no forced conversion in Islam. Allah commands us
to treat everyone equally. We are not differentiating them; we treat all of
them equally.
“They all are healthy. They are feeding well. If you see them now, you will see that they don’t have any problem.”
“They all are healthy. They are feeding well. If you see them now, you will see that they don’t have any problem.”
He added
that under the Islamic faith the killing of women and children was unacceptable
except they are the aggressors, but pointed out that some of them might get
caught in the crossfire in the event of bombings or attacks.
“Under
Islam, killing women and children is not acceptable. But if they are fighting
you, then you must fight them. But if they don’t attack you, you leave them.
Killing children and women is not accepted at all. We only go after those who
give information to our enemy… But if we bomb somewhere or make arrest
somewhere, it will affect them but killing women and children is not accepted,”
he said.
Despite
the revelations made by the Boko Haram “teacher” the Council of State, which
met yesterday reiterated the position of the federal government that the
abducted schoolgirls would soon regain their freedom, urging the public to be
patient as the government works to wipe out terrorism.
Briefing
State House correspondents at the end of the meeting the Governor of Akwa Ibom
State, Godswill Akpabio, said the security of the nation topped the agenda,
adding that President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, Col.
Sambo Dasuki (rtd) were briefed on the steps that were being taken to rescue
the abducted schoolgirls.
He said
military authorities also confirmed that efforts were being made and very soon
there would be good news.
“It was
also heartwarming to note that the issue is not whether we can rescue the
girls, but the issue is how can we can rescue them in a way that we can ensure
their safety so that we don't end up in the attempt to rescue them we endanger
their lives.
“What also
came out is the need for Nigerians to be patient because terrorism is a new
challenge in Nigeria and it is not something that goes away immediately and we
have to be meticulous in our approach and make sure that we take the best steps
forward to reduce and minimise the possible loss of lives in an attempt to curb
the insurgents.
“We are
very satisfied the security agents know very well where the girls are located
and they are on top of the situation.
“The other
issue was the appointment of certain commissioners in the National Population
Commission (NPC) and the states that have not filled their quota were today
ratified and approved.
“The
council was duly consulted in line with the constitutional provision for Ekiti,
Yobe, Jigawa Zamfara and Kebbi States whose commissioners were ratified and
approved by council.
“The other
issue was the general security of the nation and this is to assure the public
that the military authorities working in concert with the governors of various
states of the federation are on top of the situation and that we require patience
and cooperation in order to bring the situation to an end.
“What also
came out of the discussion was the need for every person to be vigilant in
which ever part of the country you are in because security is everybody’s
business. You have to know your neighbour and understand your environment and
report any suspicious movement to security agents.
“We
commended the security agents who are on top of the situation and we are happy
that very serious efforts are being made, all the necessary equipment that will
enable us bring this insurgency to an end are being procured by the federal
government and council was satisfied that Mr. President is on top of the
situation and he is taking this issue of the insurgency very seriously and
sooner rather than later, Nigerians will see an end to this problem,” Akpabio
said.
Also
speaking during the briefing, the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said:
“On security, we came to recognise the fact that a few years back, most of us
would have sworn that there was no Nigerian who would have been a suicide
bomber, Nigerians enjoy life. But we now know that there are some of us who are
willing to play the role of suicide bombers.
“This act
of terrorism is completely new and the armed forces have not had that many
years of experience in dealing with internal insurgency, so it’s far more
complicated than dealing with an opponent that you can define by location or
uniform.
“The
terrorist can be your neighbour, he could be living in your village and you may
not know them, but the good news is that the army is on top of the situation
and we are satisfied that they are doing their best and they are paying a huge
price for which Nigerians should be appreciative and commend them for the
sacrifices they are making,” he said.
He further
pointed out that the council was unanimous that the media should put the
country first and newspaper headlines and stories should be cast in such a way
that they are informed by Nigeria’s national interest.
The
governor said: “If we celebrate terrorism, then we are giving incentives to the
terrorists. In reporting, the editor must know what to report and censure
because when there is no country, there is no media or politician.
“We as
politicians, we should be more sensitive to national security; when it comes to
national security, partisanship should give way to all hands being on deck as
speaking with one voice in denouncing terrorism would ensure that we are on the
same page.
“It is not
a partisan issue, because if there is no Nigeria, political parties become
irrelevant and all of us can do better, so we should change our language.
“Also
there is the role of religious leaders, as it is not helpful for any religious
leader to seek to rationalise this act by suggesting that these people belong
to one religion or that their target is another religion and that the entire
thing is based on religion.
“It is clear that these are just criminals that are masquerading in whatever name they choose to call themselves. No genuine Christian or Muslim would think that God needs help to kill anyone.”
Past heads
of state in attendance included General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), Alhaji Shehu Shagari, General Abdulsalami
Abubakar (rtd) and Chief Ernest Shonekan. Former military Head of State
Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) was absent.
Also at
the meeting were state governors, including the embattled Adamawa State
Governor, Murtala Nyako.
None of the governors from the South-west was in attendnace, but Ogun and Ondo States sent their deputies.
None of the governors from the South-west was in attendnace, but Ogun and Ondo States sent their deputies.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please comment before Leaving, it matters alot to us.