SAN FRANCISCO, August 23, (THEWILL) – Detained members of a Boko Haram factional group has accepted to embrace dialogue as they appealed to members of other splinter groups to follow suit.
The development came as the chairman of the Presidential Committee of Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts in Northern Nigeria, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, on Friday, said the committee has nothing to say on the whereabouts of Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, as alleged by the JTF.
Turaki said: “We are just coming in from visitation in the furtherance of our consultations from Gombe and Bauchi State.
“We just heard like every other Nigerians about the alleged death of Shekau. Now, we know Col. Sagir Musa very well and we have a lot interactions with him in the course of our visit to Borno State. When the information was broken by members of the press, we have tried to get in touch with but we have not succeeded yet, of course, quite understandably there is no network service in the state and we are just coming in, so we have not been able to take time from where we are to make inquiries as far as that issue raised is concerned and mark you some of these issues are not issues you will speak on phone.
“So we will by God’s grace begin to speak to authorities concerned and then confirm the authenticity of the information. But for now the committee is not in the position to admit or deny the authenticity of the report.”
And in a video clip shown to journalists at the State House in Abuja on Friday, the Boko Haram faction led by one Muhammad Lawan ibn Sulaiman, said they have found it imperative to explore the dialogue being offered by the federal government.
“If the Muslim leadership reviews the situation and foresaw the danger in the continuation of the war, then it has to be stopped even without the prompting of the enemy,” Suleiman said , adding that this was the advocacy of their slain Boko Haram leader, Muhammad Yusuf, “when he saw the situation deteriorating then.”
Suleiman stated further: “I hope my fellow brothers who claimed to align themselves with the movement of Muhammad Yusuf will come to reason with the citations made from the scriptures,” as he urged other insurgents to “see beyond their eyes the condition of the religion and the people under the present circumstance and embrace peace. ”
He said they agreed to the dialogue after the Turaki committee visited them in prison and outlined government’s proposal to them.
The thoughts, according to him, were: “Is dialogue possible? How can it be achieved? What’s in it for those behind bars? And: What incentive would be given to the detainees who will fast track the process. ”
He said: “Indeed dialogue between the Jihadists and the government is possible,” adding “some of the benefits, including forgiveness, is desirable at all times. So if they approached you first, it is better, ” as he expressed fear of treachery in dialogue.
“The believers should accept the request even if they stood on the way to the realisation of their goal, so long as it will not lead to the greatest sin,” he stressed.
Pointing out that although it was “one of the most difficult moments for the companions of the prophet, reaching peace with non-believers is lawful so long as it will bring relief to believers.”
He added: “It is permissible to reach peace accord and lay down arms with reparation to or against us because of the Allah’s saying ‘When you turn to peace, turn to it with completeness and depend on Allah’- Quran Chapter 8:61. It will amount to arrogance if we continue to fight under the prevailing condition, a situation which will not make the weaker stronger nor the stronger weaker.”
Turaki who stated that peace is achievable through dialogue, said the detained insurgents in the video came up with their decision after a consensus reached in one of their council meetings.
He claimed that they “sat down in Shura, the highest decision-making body and analysed from purely Islamic perspective, taking into account the clear and unambiguous provisions of the Holy Qur’an and taken also into account the teachings and fundamentally the practices of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on the issue of dialogue and peaceful reconciliation, strengthening submissions again with the works of other Islamic scholars globally who have had cause in their life times to also make research and came on with a lot of literature supporting the cause on dialogue and stating the parameters ad condition under which dialogue can take place.”
According to Turaki, “These people have clearly accepted the dialogue option and not only that they have insisted and as far as issues of dialogue is raised that it becomes incumbent on the Moslems to accept that dialogue option. ”
He said based on this, the committee is also exploring the option of meeting and “discussing with other very respected and key leaders who are in the field and discussions are also getting to very advanced stage,” saying “as soon we get to the point where we have gotten to other officers or leadership we will also inform you and through you.”
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