Murder of Christians Ignored as Nigeria Seeks Peace with Boko Haram

ICC Note:

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticized the proposed plan by the Sultan of Sokoto to bring a peace agreement between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government. The Sultan suggested the government grant 'total amnesty' to members of Boko Haram in exchange for peace. This proposal seems to forget that the extremist group is responsible for an estimated 3,000 murders, many of the victims being Christians. How will justice be served if Boko Haram is given total amnesty? What is to stop other extremist groups from following Boko Haram's example?   

3/7/2013 Nigeria (Afrique Jet) - Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, yesterday, dismissed the call by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, calling on the Federal Government to grant 'total amnesty' to members of Boko Haram sect for the sake of peace.

CAN in a statement by its General Secretary, Dr. Musa Asake, said it categorically rejected any offer of amnesty for members of Boko Haram sect.

The statement said: 'Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, is surprised and puzzled by the statement credited to the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Alhaji Muham-mad Sa'ad Abubakar III, that the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, should be granted 'total amnesty' for the sake of peace in Nigeria and that 'the bottom line of the problem facing us has been injustice meted out to people who are not supposed to.

'We wonder what the Sultan meant by injustice in relation to the activities of Boko Haram sect when members of the group are a bunch of fundamentalists who have killed, maimed, deformed Christians and made orphans and widows of otherwise peaceful and lovely families.

'They have also displaced people, destroyed businesses and livelihoods in their thousands. Would the Sultan sincerely attribute the perpetration of the injustice to Christians?

'If it is injustice, is it not government that should be held accountable? Why would the sect not hold their representatives at the various tiers of government responsible?'

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Tags: Africa, Boko Haram, Nigeria

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