The Federal Government has said it will soon begin the process of disarmament and de-radicalisation of Boko Haram members who surrendered their arms as well as ensuring that they are well rehabilitated.
This came as it justified its latest move to free vulnerable Boko Haram suspects arrested in the ongoing crack-down on the sect, especially women and children, saying the exercise has succeeded in calming the insurgents down and re-affirming their faith in government’s sincerity on dialogue.
Speaking in his office in Abuja, on Friday, the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North and Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, stated that it was only a matter of time before total peace will be restored in the region.
Turaki noted that the state of emergency recently declared by President Goodluck Jonathan had drastically changed the equation in the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa adding that improvement of security has given residents in the states the impetus to engage in serious act of community policing.
According to him, soldiers who are engaged in restoring peace in the states have now been made to act within the rules of engagement to ensure that rights of residents are respected.
He recalled that the committee, last Thursday, met with 104 Boko Haram suspects detained in Lagos prisons and expressed confidence that the initiative would achieve the desired goal.
The minister also noted that when the President proffered to dialogue with members of Boko Haram, a lot of backlash trailed the decision to the point that people believed the government lacked the capacity to contain the insurgents.
He also recalled that when the dialogue committee was set up, there were doubts as to how it would achieve any success but he noted that today, success was currently being recorded to the point that there was high hope in the committee.
