The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria has announced its intention to withdraw as the intermediary in the talks between the Federal Government and dreaded sect, Boko Haram.
The SCSN said its decision was as a result of the leakage of the peace process and its involvement to the media, allegedly by the government.
The President of the SCSN, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, said the decision to leak the ongoing process to the media casts “strong doubts on the sincerity of the Federal Government.”
In a statement made available to the media, Ahmad said: “As a concerned elder and President of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN), I felt very disturbed with the turn of events and the increasing cycle of massive violence in our country, and especially, in the northern and Muslim part of Nigeria.
“We, in the SCSN, therefore, made enquiries as to how to reach the current leadership of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda Awati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram.
“Our enquiries led us to a reporter whom we realised maintained a close and valuable professional contact with leadership of the sect.
“Through this gentleman, we contacted the leadership of the sect and established from them that, as Muslims, they were prepared to consider ‘Sulhu,’ which means ‘broad reconciliation,’ regarding the dispute between them and the government.
“It was, at this juncture, Secretary-General of the SCSN (Barrister Nafiu Baba-Ahmed) and I, on behalf of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, contacted the Federal Government at the highest level and intimated them of this great possibility of reconciliation and peaceful resolution of the crisis.
“This was on Monday, 5th March, 2012.
“To our shock and dismay, no sooner had we started this dialogue than Nigerian newspapers came out with a lot of the details of the meeting held.
“This development has embarrassed us very much and has created strong doubts in our minds about the sincerity on the government’s side in our discussion as the discussion is supposed to be very confidential to achieve any success.”
Ahmad said it is unfortunate that the Federal Government is missing the opportunity to end the violence in the country with the “unfortunate and unhelpful development.”
He added: “We sincerely regret that an opportunity to negotiate and terminate this cycle of violence is being missed.”