Boko Haram dialogue to proceed-Presidential committee

The committee chairman denied that his team were shot at during the visit to Bama, Maidugri.

The presidential committee on amnesty for Boko Haram insurgents said Sunday it still hopes to dialogue with the militant group despite ongoing military campaign against the insurgents.

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution, Kabiru Turaki, said in Maiduguri on Sunday that dialogue would take place in spite of the recent developments.

Mr. Turaki, who is also the Minister of Special Duties, said the dialogue would bring lasting solutions to the states affected by the insurgency.

“Let me say that conflicts are resolved not on the battlefield but on the negotiation table. We are hoping that this one will also be resolved the same way.

“There is no option to dialogue because whatever cannot be achieved through peace, we cannot achieve through violence,’’ he said.

Mr. Turaki commended the Borno State Government and security agencies for their efforts in maintaining peace in the state.

“I want to commend the Borno Government for taking proactive measures, especially in areas of rehabilitation of people who had to be evacuated in the course of the operations of the security agencies,’’ he said.

Mr. Turaki said that it was not true that members of the committee were shot at during their visit to Bama, headquarters of Bama Local Government Area.

“We were not greeted with gunshots in Bama, but we met an exchange of fire between security agents and some suspected gunmen.

“The gunshots were not meant for us and it did not deter us from doing our job,’’ he said

(NAN)