Lagos – Some activists on Thursday in Lagos expressed support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration that he was not averse to negotiation with the Boko Haram insurgents to free the 219 Chibok School girls.
Buhari had on Tuesday, in an interview during his U.S. visit, said that his administration would be willing to negotiate with the sect if it would lead to the safe return the schoolgirls from captivity.
The girls were captured by the militant group in North-Eastern part of the country in April 2014.
Mr Dennis Aghanya, the Director, Change Program and Global Transformation, said that the President meant well in his approach.
“As a former military person, he understands the logic associated with security issues.
“The bottom line is for the girls to be released back to their families,” Aghanya said.
He, therefore, called for the support of Nigerians irrespective of party affiliation, religion or ethnicity.
In the same vein, the Contact Committee Chairman of “Rescue our Children Alive”, Mr Toyin Raheem, said the President’s stance was not wrong.
“It is not wrong to negotiate with Boko Haram, most especially to have the Chibok Girls alive.
“We support the move with caution, this group is criminal and should not be totally trusted.
“Government must determine the genuine Boko Haram leaders that abducted the girls and be sure they are still alive before carrying out any discussion,” Raheem said.
Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya, the 2015 Presidential Candidate of the KOWA Party, said that the President had more facts at his disposal that could inform his decisions.
“Normally, one would not want to negotiate with terrorists; that confers some dignity on them which they definitely do not deserve.
“They have shown themselves to be cruel murderers.
“But hopefully, President Buhari has more facts than the rest of us do and we trust that he knows what he is doing,” Sonaiya said
However, the National President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, said he was not in support of negotiation with the insurgents.
“I find it so uncomfortable in the sense that Nigeria government is one of the strongest institutions,” Shettima said.
He said that Nigeria had the ability to tackle the group headlong.
Rev. Austin Nnorom, the Publicity Secretary, South-West Chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, also spoke in the same vein.
“Why will government be negotiating with Boko Haram?” Nnorom queried.
He also urged government to confront insurgency headlong and ensure the insurgents had no hiding place.
