Presidential Committee On Amnesty Visits Detained Boko Haram Members

As efforts continue to deliver their mandate of
finding a solution to Boko Haram insurgency in
Nigeria, members of the Presidential Committee
on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security
Challenges in the North, led by its Chairman,
Tanimu Turaki, on Friday toured institutions
and places of worship bombed by the sect in
Kaduna State.
The committee also visited some members of
the terror group in an undisclosed detention in
the state capital.
Areas visited included the Jaji Miliatry
Cantoment where two suicide bombers attacked
St. Andrews Military Protestant Church located
at the Armed Forces Command and Staff
College, Jaji, killing several worshippers and
residents while scores were seriously injured
last year.
The committee also visited the St. Rita's Catholic
Church, Ungwan Yero where a similar attack was
carried out by the insurgents.
There was a mild drama at the Armed Forces
Command and Staff College, Jaji when the
committee members were snubbed, as a junior
officer who received the committee told them
the commandant was not ready to receive them
because he was in a crucial meeting with the
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence.
But when members of the committee threatened
to leave, another officer hurriedly called out the
commandant.
The committee Chairman, who is also the
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-
governmental Affairs, was furious and said,
"This is rubbish. Who is that permanent
secretary? Let me see him. This is unacceptable.
For the past five sessions, I have not attended
council meetings because of this committee
work. You cannot be in a meeting with a
permanent secretary and say you will not attend
to a presidential committee that is representing
the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
The Commandant, Air Vice-Marshall Ekpo
Osim, who tried to calm the furious minister
told the committee that they were equally
working for the security of the country.
According to him, the initial message was from a
junior officer who might not have known the
importance of the committee's visit.
He said, "Take it easy Mr. Chairman. We are all
here to ensure the security of our country and
quell crises. The message that I was attending to
a permanent secretary was passed by a young
officer and I don't need to say much. I sincerely
apologise for the communication gap and the
mix-up."