The Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the Norrth on Thursday met with alleged terrorists that are being detained at Kuje Medium Prison in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
No fewer than 40 terrorists, including the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, Kabiru Sokoto, were interacted with by the committee members.
Kabiru Sokoto is being detained at the prison on the order of an Abuja High Court Judge.
The Committee, led by its Chairman and Minister for Special Duties, Alhaji Turaki Tanimu, had earlier held consultations with prison officials before meeting the inmates.
Tanimu said they had interacted with the leadership of the State Security Service and the Police, adding that the committee’s assignment was to open avenue for dialogue that could lead to sustainable peace.
He said it is not an amnesty committee as being reported.
He spoke with newsmen after the interaction: “We are in the process of consultations with major stakeholders that we feel are in the position to assist us to get more information, to get more facts, to get a better perspective of the security situation so that we will at the end of the day come up with good recommendations that will be able to assist government in the resolution of this crisis.
“In the cause of this interaction, very useful information has been exchanged and we were able to check some of the facilities of the Police Force.
“On Tuesday, we were in the office of National Security Adviser for similar consultations.
“Today, we are in consultation with Nigeria Prison Service and were are now in Kuje Prison.
“As some of you may have noticed, we have had very useful discussions with some inmates that are being held here on the allegations of being either members of Jamatu Alma Suna or on accounts of terrorism or acts related there to.
“We want to assure Nigerians that this committee is poised to make sure that will carry out this assignment with all sense of responsibility, with all honesty and with diligence.
“We have had cause in the pass to speak to members of Jamatu Alma Suna and in doing so to tell them that members of this committee are people of proven integrity, are accomplished Nigerians that have been carefully selected by Mr. President to come and do this national assignment.
“We do not have any grudges against anybody, do not harbour any ill feeling or prejudices against anybody.
“We have resolved and we have pledged and will continue to pledge that in carrying out this assignment, we will do it with the fear of God, high sense of patriotism and nationalism.
“We shall be guided by sense of decency and the feeling of trying to ensure that at the end of the day there is more peace in Nigeria.”
Elaborating more on the task before the committee, Alhaji Tanimu said: “You see the underlying essence of this committee is not to cease fire.
“It is about total disarmament.
“What we are trying to do at this time is confidence building mechanism.
“We are trying to get information that will be useful.
“Let me correct one misrepresentation that people have: this is not an amnesty committee.
“This is a dialogue committee.
“And there is a world of difference between dialogue and amnesty committee.
“What we are trying to do is to open credible channel for engaging all sides in useful discussions.
“We want to dialogue with them, we want to sit with them, hear them, we want to give every side the opportunity – security agencies, government, Jamatu people and every other that are either directly or indirectly connected with this thing.”
All the members of the committee, including Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Hajiya Aisha Wakili, Sheik Ahmed Lemu, among others were present at the interactive session.
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