Atiku Abubakar has hailed as “patriotic and commonsensical” the call by the Borno Elders Forum, on President Muhammadu Buhari “to stop the practice of releasing so called repentant Boko Haram members.”
In fact Atiku has served notice to Boko Haram/ISWAP that he will not release any one of them that is captured if he becomes president.
“Atiku Abubakar serves notice to Boko Haram/ISWAP that if he is elected
President of Nigeria, there will be no release of any captured terrorist.
Instead, they must expect the harshest punishment the law allows. Under Atiku
Abubakar, criminals will not profit from their criminality” a statement signed by Paul Ibe,
the former vice president’s media
aide said Saturday.
The statement further added that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party fully aligned with the call by Borno elders and felt vindicated because twice in 2018, he gave precisely this counsel to the President, which he did not heed.
“It makes no military or practical sense to release hardened terrorists, who have taken the very precious lives of members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, on the flimsy excuse that they have been deradicalised or repentant.”
“As Atiku Abubakar said last year, and says again, any right thinking person can see that escalation of the war on Nigeria by Boko Haram/ISWAP, coincides with the introduction of this repugnant policy by the Muhammadu Buhari administration” the statement said.
The former Vice
President urged President Buhari to cast
his mind back to the testimony of Abba Umar, a Boko Haram commander who after
his arrest, boasted that he would return to join the sect in Sambisa if he was
ever released.
Atiku therefore advises President Buhari to show single minded resolve and commitment to defeating the common enemies of our nation and to do so without betraying any weakness, as this will only embolden the terrorists.
The PDP Presidential candidate commended the Borno Elders Forum and urged other bodies of elders to learn from their sagacious courage to speak the truth to power.
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