A wide spectrum of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the northeast especially from Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe state have thrown their weight behind, Ali Ndume, Senator representing Southern Borno District, for saying deradicalization of Boko Haram was premature as the war has not been won.
Although, others have mixed feelings when they revealed that the federal government may not be totally wrong saying deradicalization has remained a key approach globally for ending a war.
Ndume, who is a Senate Chairman committee on Army made this statement on Wednesday when he faulted the Deradicalisation and reintegration of Boko Haram repented members as premature when the war has not been won yet.
He suggested instead, the repentant terrorists should have been best kept as prisoners of war until the war is over, subsequently, should be paraded before the law and answers their crime according to the law of the land.
The Lawmaker said, “I am in disagreement with the government on the issue of deradicalizing and reintegrating (repentant Boko Haram members). I still maintain that. You can’t be resettling people, pampering them while the war is on.
“The committee is on the same page and I believe many Nigerians are on the same page with this. In my village, mallams that are Muslims, not ordinary Muslims but mallams, elders above 60, were taken to an abattoir and slaughtered by Boko Haram. 75 of them,” he said.
Ndume pointed out that the recent “Damboa attack was carried out by a repentant Boko Haram member.”
He said, “the repentant Boko Haram member was feeding the terror group information regarding the movement of the army.”
He said that it was unfair to have the government waste its resources on those who threaten the peace of the nation.
Meanwhile, reacting to news of Nigerians convicted in UAE over Boko Haram funding, the lawmaker called on President Buhari to bring to book those that were directly or indirectly involved in Boko Haram activities
