BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Monday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, declared that there should be no controversy over what should be done with Boko Haram members that who surrendered.
Lawan, who stated this at the Palace of Shehu of Borno, Abubakar El-Kanemi in Maiduguri, Borno State, said that the reports that Boko Haram elements are coming out of their trenches to surrender to the Nigerian troops should be seen as a welcome development and should be encouraged.
According to Lawan; “In any war, in every war, surrender is the ultimate and if we can achieve it, we should do everything and anything possible to encourage more and more to come out so that we are able to come to the end of this unnecessary insurgency that has taken our States back for so many years in term of development.
“The recent surrender by Boko Haram elements is a good development for the security of this country. Personally, I believe that the Federal government must work with the Borno State Government and other states in this part of the country to ensure that those that have been received are appropriately processed.
“Those that have no issues to answer are sanitised and taking back to their communities. Those that may have issues to answer should be taken through the legal processes but we must ensure that we encourage Boko Haram elements and those they have taken by force to come out to surrender so that this unnecessary insurgency placed on us comes to an end.
“And I want to assure you, Your Royal Highness, that the National Assembly and particularly the Senate will work very closely with the Borno State Government in this respect,” he said.
Lawan reassured the people that the Federal government would continue to work with the State authorities to ensure full restoration of peace and stability in the region.
He said; “The Federal government is devoting so much resources for our security agencies to fight and bring insecurity to an end. Recently, the National Assembly approved over 800 billion naira for our security agencies in a supplementary budget and Mr President has assured us that he will bring more request for more resources for our security agencies in 2022 appropriation bill which may be presented at the end of September by the Grace of God.
“We pray Almighty God to continue to guide our leaders at all levels, to protect our leaders at all levels and of course, to protect the people of this country,” Lawan said.
Responding, the Shehu of Borno said his people had “seriously suffered as a result of Boko Haram crisis.” but added that they were “lucky” to have the Buhari Government which eventually changed the tide.
The monarch said all the Local Government Areas which were under the control of Boko Haram had been taken back and that normal business activities had returned, adding that the news that Boko Haram elements are surrendering “is a welcome development” because “Borno is a home of peace and we are for peace.”
The Senate President and Yobe Governor were both accompanied on the trip by Senator Sadiq Umar Suleiman, Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Dr. Babagana M. Aji, Permanent Secretary(Yobe State), Ambassador Zanna Aliyu Ibrahim and Ambassador Babagana Ajimi who is the Chairman, Board of Directors, Federal Neuro Psychiatry Hospital, Kaduna.
The Senate President was in the state, in company of the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, on condolence visit to the Monarch who lost his elder brother and also to the family of former minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe over the death of his mother-In-Law.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and his Deputy, Umar Usman Kadafur were also on ground to play host to the visitors at Kingibe’s residence as well as the Shehu of Borno’s Palace.
