Repentant Boko Haram, Igboho, ESN Members Are Same Thing – Audu Ogbeh

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, August 18th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum has frowned against reintegrating repentant Boko Haram insurgents into the society.

The National Chairman of the Northern body, Audu Ogbeh, stated that repentant Boko Haram members are not different from the Igbohos or ESN members and should be prosecuted for their crimes.

Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture, disclosed this in a statement he signed and released through the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, in Kaduna .

It read, “We are currently witnessing large-scale surrender of large numbers of Boko Haram insurgents, among whom are bomb makers, commanders, arsonists, rapists, and child snatchers.

“Do we have good reason to cheer and hope for an end to this decade-old insanity?

“Is ‘I am sorry’ enough to bring relief to Nigerians and the thousands of dead and maimed?

“What of those victims bombed in churches, mosques, schools, and markets? What of all the men and women in uniform murdered by them?

“Who can count the thousands of widows and orphans they have created?

“And what is the difference between them and the Igbohos or ESN of Nigeria? None .

“So what do we do with them? Should we just embrace them and trust them wholesale? Are their moves informed by altruistic repentance? We seriously doubt.

“We join the Governor of Borno, the Shehu of Borno, Senator Ndume and millions of Nigerians in pondering over this development and our simple advice is: Bring them to trial, or free all others presently in custody anywhere, while we Nigerians plead guilty of naivety and gullibility in the extreme, punishable by more insurrection and anarchy.”