The Federal Government yesterday ruled out compensation for civilian victims of the Boko Haram violence, just as it called on members of the sect to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on Security Challenges in the North, Tanimu Turaki, said the government would only support the victims, but compensate military personnel who lost their lives in the efforts to combat the sect's activities.
Turaki and other members of the committee were at the national conference on the role of Muslim scholars in fostering unity, peace and security in Nigeria at Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI) headquarters in Kaduna and asked the Islamic clerics to prevail on the Boko Haram members to embrace dialogue.
Turaki said since the insurgents believed in the tenets of Islam, they should be able to obey the injunctions of Koran that gave room for dialogue even in a warring situation.
He said: "The Federal Government cannot pay compensation, but it will support victims of private individual. It will only compensate military personnel affected by the insurgency.
"Government will not have the capacity to give compensation because of the quantum number of victims of the insurgency.
"How do compensate somebody who has lost family members, how much will you compensate him when he is battling with the psychological effect of the Boko Haram violence.
"So far, we have had robust discussions with Muslim leaders, government officials, traditional rulers and clerics.
"No matter the ideology of Boko Haram, it is twisted towards Islam, it is very unfortunate. We therefore want this conference to examine the immediate and remote causes of the growing insurgency in the North.
"We pray this conference will call on the Boko Haram members to embrace dialogue. If you are using the name of the Prophet, then there is room for dialogue, it is respectful to come and dialogue, we are all ready for dialogue."
National Mirror