WTF?? Borno gov-elect offers amnesty to Islamic Militants (Boko Haram)

MAIDUGURI — THE governor elect of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima has offered to grant  Amnesty to members of Boko Haram provided they lay down their arms and negotiate with the state government on the restoration of “peace and unity” to all parts of the state.


Speaking in his first post-election interview, the govrnor-elect said: “The victory of ANPP at Tuesday’s polls was not only for me as a person and candidate of the party, but to all stakeholders and opposition parties that fully participated in the gubernatorial elections conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The challenging tasks before me and the entire party machinery of the ruling and opposition parties are to first address the insecurity to lives and property in the state.

Insecurity to lives and property has threatened the state government machinery and its citizens from addressing poverty, unemployment and the reactivation of closed down industries, including the endless power outages of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

That could be addressed by reactivating the Marte Chad Basic Development Authority power stations to generate 30 megawatts for Borno state.”

He said if the Umaru Yar’Adua administration could address the problems of militants in the Niger-Delta oil rich Region, his own administration would within the first 100 days in office, hold discussion with Boko Haram on granting its members amnesty.

“As soon as the administration is inaugurated on May 29, 2011, we will sit down at a roundtable with the Boko Haram leaders on how its members could lay down their arms and move the state forward by restoring peace, unity and the protection of all lives and property in Borno state,” he said

The amnesty, according to the governor elect, would enable the sect members return home and live with their family members and relations and move the state forward with improved security to lives and property.