Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has posited the reason repentant Boko Haram insurgents won’t be prosecuted by the state.
According to Zulum, insurgents will not stand prosecution in order to discourage others from coming forward to lay up their arms.
Zulum made the disclosure in his address at the presentation of the 2022 budget at the State Assembly.
He said;
“Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, we need Allah’s guidance and the utmost wisdom to work for an end to the crisis facing our dear state.
“Prosecuting all the criminals (insurgents) would have been most appropriate but if we insist on it, we would discourage others out there that are willing to lay down their arms.
“The terrorists’ ranks could swell and our innocent fellow citizens, particularly those in local government areas, could become more vulnerable to attacks and abductions.”
Zulum further explained that no insurgents who submitted to the military have been reincorporated into society, the Governor, because de-radicalization efforts do not mean that an insurgent “may kill today, surrender tomorrow, and walk away scot-free.”
Those ready to surrender must now stop attacking citizens, security agents, and facilities.
He added;
“However, we will never forget the feelings of those who have lost loved ones, lost their homes, lost their communities and lost their means of livelihood.
“We must approach our peace-building efforts with extreme caution by working in line with the 16 resolutions reached on August 29, 2021, when we convened a multi-stakeholder security town-hall meeting, which critically reviewed and adopted guidelines for us to approach the surrender of insurgents.”
Source:NaijaOnPoint.com
