Boko Haram Not Responsible For Killing Of Yobe Secondary School Students, Says Minister

According to the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Barrister Tanimu Turaki, the leadership of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has in private discussions with the committee, denied responsibility for the killing of dozens of students of Government Secondary School, Mamudo, in Potiskum, Yobe State.

Mr. Turaki, whose committee recently announced a ceasefire with the outlawed group, made this disclosure on Wednesday while speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja.

“As far as the commission of crime is concerned, security agencies anywhere will not rely on the confessions or denial of supposed suspect as the basis for their investigation” he said.

“I’m sure Nigerian security agencies are very competent and they will look at all the facts and circumstances and then they will be able to carry out their investigation without bias, and then arrive at the final decision of who really was behind that unfortunate act (students killing).

“But they (Boko Haram) said so (denied the killing), and for us it is left for the security agencies to determine that they were not responsible” he added.

Mr. Turaki, who is also the Minister of Special Duties in the Presidency, said his committee was able to arrive at a ceasefire deal with the sect because of the trust reposed in the committee by the insurgents.

He, however, said his committee was yet to meet or discuss with the Boko Haram leader, Sheik Abubakar Shekau, but was meeting with his deputy.