Senator Ali Ndume on Wednesday faulted the Federal Government for granting amnesty for “repentant” Boko Haram insurgents.

The senator stated this following report of a repentant Boko Haram member, who killed his father, stole his wealth and disappeared after reintegration.

The lawmaker representing Borno South in the National Assembly alleged that most of the insurgents recently integrated into the community had gone back to their old ways.

Ndume said the programme was unacceptable, calling on the government to stop forthwith.

Speaking in a British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa programme monitored in Kaduna on Wednesday, he queried the rationale behind government investing hugely on repentant insurgents

He said rather than training Boko Haram that won’t appreciate it, those in the IDP camps should be trained in various trades and vocations.

The lawmaker said,

They are like Kharajites. Many among those released have since run away. They will never repent. The government should know what to do about them, but not reintroducing someone to you, who has killed your parents or your relations.

Not that he even apologised to you; he apologised to the government. His thinking was that government has failed and that is why they are being pampered. This government’s programme is unacceptable to our people. The right thing is to stop it forthwith.

If there is sincerity of purpose, those in the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps should be trained in various trades and vocations, so that they can start life again.

Meanwhile, a widow, who was featured in the programme, berated the Federal Government for training repentant insurgents to be reintegrated into the community.

She claimed that the insurgents killed her husband and now left with four children, wondering why the government was pampering the so-called repentant insurgents.

She said,

This is hurting. They (Boko Haram) killed my husband in my presence. They killed my son. I am left suffering with four young orphans. Till death, I will never forget that day.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.