Desert Herald, Their Spokes-paper Says
In a surprise development that may end
the persistent uprising that has resulted in
the killing of innocent people and
destruction of property worth billions of
naira in the last three years in north
eastern part of Nigeria, the radical Islamic
sect Boko Haram whose operations have
crippled the economy of Borno and
neighbouring Yobe states have announced
a surprise cease fire today in Maiduguri
the Borno State capital.
DESERT HERALD had hours earlier broken
the news that the sect will today formally
announce a cease fire with some
conditions. Conservatively, the violence in
the northern part of Nigeria had killed
more than two thousand people while
many more are left permanently
incapacitated either due to the terror
attacks (suicide bombing) by the sect or
due to torture and sometimes even gun
shots by the members of the Joint Task
Force (JTF).
Dependable sources told DESERT HERALD
that the leadership of the sect in recent
weeks were under intense pressure from
the Borno Elders Forum to consider the
sacrifice of a cease fire not because of the
lackluster attitude of the federal
government but because of the increasing
casualties being recorded on a daily basis.
Earlier, DESERT HERALD had received an
exclusive email from the sect members
confirming the their resolve for a cease
fire and according to them to give those in
authority the chance to show to the world
that they are indeed committed to
peaceful resolution of the crisis.
In a press conference that was attended by
some members of the Borno Elders Forum
in Maiduguri this evening the Boko Haram
sect through their representative one Abu
Abdul'aziz said they are formally
announcing a cease fire in consideration of
popular demand and to give the
facilitators the benefit of doubt. Abu
Abdul'aziz said to demonstrate their
commitment to peace, they are not giving
government conditions that may give it
reasons to continue to waste public
resources without commensurate result.
Part of the conditions as gathered
exclusively by DESERT HERALD is that the
sect had agreed on its own to lay down
their arms and suspend any campaign of
violence and killings in whatever form and
that they will await federal government
actions that will show its commitment to
peace and reconciliation with them. The
Boko Haram sect through Abu Abdul'aziz
also demanded full compensation to all
the families of their members that were
not killed in the battle field (those that
were extra-judiciously executed by the JTF
from 2009 to date including their leader
Mohammed Yusuf and those that were
killed through torture and gun shots while
in custody).
Similarly, the sect demanded the release of
all their members that were not captured
in battle field by the government as well as
reconstructing their place of worship
(Markas) in Maiduguri and the freedom to
practice their religion as they used to do
before.
Boko Haram in the first press conference
also said that part of the condition for
lasting peace is the immediate arrest and
prosecution of ex-Governor Ali Modu
Sheriff and all the officers that killed their
leader and hundreds of their people in
2009 without subjecting them to due
process of the law.
They said they will give both the federal
government and the Borno State
government time to act and that during
such time they will not be directly or
indirectly involved in any attack and that
anybody that attacks or kill within that
period is not their member and that there
would not be such instruction from their
leadership.
Abdul'aziz said they will lay down their
arms for the period but that they are not
giving their arms because their campaign
has not ended until such a time
government demonstrates sincere
commitment to everlasting peace. They if
their freedom to religious practice cannot
be guaranteed the efforts of well meaning
Nigeria's may never work and that the
little conditions they gave will show to the
whole world whether it is the government
that is encouraging the violence for its
benefit or not.
The spokesman of the Borno Elders Forum
who was part of those that attended the
press conference, Bulama Mari Gubio
confirmed the development to DESERT
HERALD.
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