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Senator Emmanuel Bwacha representing Taraba South on Tuesday says granting amnesty to Boko Haram insurgents by the Federal Government will encourage the sect to continue carrying out terrorist attacks in the country.
Bwacha, who is the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, disclosed this to newsmen at Mararraba, in reaction to the controversial 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 calls them herdsmen but they are not herdsmen.
“They are truly insurgents who are either being released from prison back to society or decimated from theatre of war in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states,” he said.
The ranking Senator also criticized the Federal Government for the 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 Libiya, 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.
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“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 chickens?
“Look, if there is lawlessness, it is illegal to be law abiding citizen. Which law are you going to obey when there is lawlessness?” he said.
It would be recalled that media reports had recently quoted Mallam Garba Shehu, the Spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing 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 was quoted while speaking in an interactive session with state house correspondents.
By Tom Garba, Yola
