Sen Bwacha cautions FG against granting amnesty to insurgents

Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha representing Taraba South on Tuesday said the recent decision of the Federal Government to grant amnesty to Boko Haram insurgents would encourage members of the group to perpetrating more acts of terrorism.

Bwacha, who is the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, disclosed this to newsmen at Mararraba while reacting to the decision.

He said it was unthinkable that people who carried arms against the state would be granted amnesty, thereby encouraging other criminal elements to follow suit.

“I have told the President that I am not satisfied with the war against insurgency because the insurgents caught and detained are being released under the guise of amnesty.

“These are the same people that are released into the society and they have continued killing people.

“Nigerian media call them herdsmen, but they are not herdsmen. They are truly insurgents who are either being released from prison back to society or from theatre of war in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states,” he said.

The Senator also criticized the Federal Government for its plan to reopen some border roads in the states within the theatre of war.

“I don’t know the conspiracy in place now that borders are being opened deliberately for militia in Libya, Chad and Niger to come into Nigeria and have a field day in killing spree.

“Government must wake up and reverse this decision and also suspend all ambitions concerning 2019 election because when people are dying in their numbers, who is going to elect you?” he said.

On TY Danjuma’s recent outburst, Bwacha said the elder statesman was right to tell Nigerians to defend themselves in the face of increasing brutal attacks by insurgents.

“Even the constitution tells you to defend yourself. So, you mean because somebody calls them herdsmen, you will sit and be looking at them when they come, meet you in your house and be slaughtering you like chicken?

“Look, if there is lawlessness, it is illegal to be law abiding citizen. Which laws are you going to obey when there is lawlessness?” he said.

Our correspondent reports that Mallam Garba Shehu, the Spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari, has described the amnesty granted to the insurgents as a “win-win situation”.

He said apart from the benefits that would be derived from channeling funds meant for prosecuting the war against insurgency to other critical areas, the insurgents “will be useful to the nation”.

“It is proverbially said all wars end up in the boardroom. You can defeat people technically on the field but at the end, you must come to the conference room to resolve all issues.

“So, if Boko Haram would lay down their arms and stop fighting and stop preaching their negative ideology, the country should be able to embrace them; welcome all of them so that they continue to live normal lives and be useful to the nation,” Shehu had said.