Boko Haram Amnesty: Shehu Sani Rejects Jonathan’s Appointment To Serve In Committee

Shehu_SaniPresident, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, CRCN, Comrade Shehu Sani yesterday humbly rejected his membership of the constituted Boko Haram amnesty committee announced by President Goodluck Jonathan.He said: “I was not consulted on the issue of amnesty neither was I consulted before the inclusion of my name into the committee. I humbly decline to be part of the committee”.

Sani, who took former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Maiduguri, Borno State, the Boko Haram enclave in 2011 to broker peace, said the proposed committee had no input of the sect.

“…There is every likelihood that the insurgents will reject and condemn this committee irrespective of whether I am part of it or not because they were not consulted and they did not have any input in the committee.”

However, he suggested three names to President Jonathan to reach out to the sect leaders for dialogue.

According to him, “You cannot have any contact committee without these three personalities: one is Ahmed Salkida, a freelance journalist; second, Hamza Idris and third, Barrister Mustapha Zanna. You cannot have any contact committee that will reach out to the insurgents without involving these three names I gave you. So, for me I just see it as an exercise in futility as far as ending the insurgency is concerned.”

Sani also suggested that the Federal Government should release women and children of Boko Haram members who are in detention nationwide as a kind gesture to motivate the group to embrace dialogue and a mistake should not be made about it.

He also urged the FG to give access to National Human Rights Commission and other Civil Rights groups to detainees of Boko Haram.