Why Shekau’s death may not end insurgency –Sani

[Mirror]

President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria (CRCN), Mallam Shehu Sani, has said that the death of the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, may not end the insecurity confronting the country as long as some members of the sect are still aggrieved.

Sani facilitated the meeting between the Boko Haram sect and former President Olusegun Obasanjo last year in Maiduguri.

Answering questions from journalists shortly after a news conference on the newly registered All Progressives Congress (APC), Sani said: "If at all Shekau was killed by the Joint Task Force (JTF), there would be an announcement by the Shura Council that Shakau had been killed and successor would have been appointed.

"Nigerians should not believe that Shakau was killed until the JTF or government or dialogue committee presents his body.

"We should not misinform ourselves, the killing of Shekau will not end insurgency in Nigeria as long as there is one person who is aggrieved or two people who are aggrieved in the Boko Haram sect.

"The only way out for this insurgency is for the government to dust the report which I brought to it through former President Obasanjo and secondly, the one brought to the government through Dr Datti Ahmed which was facilitated by a freelance journalist Ahmed Sekida. The road map for peace is first to get mediators that are accepted by the Boko Haram sect and recognised by the government.

"Dialogue is recognised by the government and not accepted by Boko Haram sect as it is now. A cease fire needs to be agreed upon and it should be announced by Boko Haram and not the government because the cease fire that has been coming up for the past two to three years is the one that has been announced by the government and dismissed by the Boko Haram.

"And then the third step will be to ask the Boko Haram sect to provide for such a list of their members who they believe should be released from detection. Now, the government is only releasing innocent persons who have no links and no contacts with the Boko Haram."

Speaking on the APC, Sani, indicated his interest to contest the governorship or senatorial election in Kaduna State on the platform of the party in 2015.

He called on the leadership of the party to ensure internal democracy and carry all sections of the country along.

"The leadership of the APC at the national level must do everything to allay the fears of the people in the South-East and South-South who felt marginalised in the settings of the party

National Mirror