LAGOS — About 104 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, currently
being held at the Kirikiri Minimum and Maximum prisons, Lagos, might
soon be released.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful
Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed
this to newsmen, yesterday, when he led the committee on a visit to
members of the sect in the prisons in Lagos State.
The visit, according to Turaki, who is also Minister of Special
Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, is to interact with those who are
being detained in connection with acts related to terrorism.
He said: “We have interacted with them and they have responded to us very sincerely and frankly.
“I think I can say that we have been well informed about most of the
issues that we are interested in, as a result of the interactions we
have had with them.”
The Chairman explained that the committee will make appropriate
recommendations to the government as far as the issue of their release
or non-release is concerned.
Turaki said: “The issue of release usually is contingent upon certain
conditions. We are more concerned, for now, with the release of
vulnerable people. And in this group of vulnerable people we have those
who the security agencies have not been able to pin anything on.
“We have seen those who the Director of Public Prosecution has
advised that they be released. We have also seen some of them who
security agencies themselves have conceded that they have not been able
to make out any case against.”
The chairman further noted that with the committee’s interaction with more stakeholders, it had become more informed.
He said: “We have been given suggestions all of which will assist us
in ultimately making our recommendations to government and I can assure
you that the committee is on top of the situation as far as the issue of
dialogue is concerned.”
He also noted that there will be impact assessment at the end of the
day, “because we have been asked to study the situation carefully and to
make appropriate recommendations for victim support.”
“I assure you that Nigerians will be very proud of this committee at the end of the day.”

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