Recently, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said “the decision of the federal government not to prosecute repentant insurgents was in line with global best practice” which set tongues wagging owing to the difficulties imposed on citizens by the 10-year-old insurgency.
However, Mohammed who spoke in Washington DC has said that his words were misrepresented by the media and public and maintained that still repentent boko haram can be prosecuted.
“I personally spoke to the military authority before I left Nigeria and they said that what they were doing was what the global practice dictated about soldiers that surrendered they should be treated as prisoners of war.
“You cannot just shoot them because there are international conventions that give rights also to prisoners of war.
“What the military is doing is that, when they surrender, they profile them to ensure that they are genuine and reintegrate them into the society,’’ he said.
In the end, Lai Mohammed said President Buhari and the military should be commended for their resilience and doggedness that lead to the surrender of the insurgents.
(NAN)
