Pay Repentant Boko Haram Terrorists, Bandits N25,000 Monthly Stipend — Methodist Prelate To Buhari
His Eminence, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu-Uche, the Prelate of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, has requested President Muhammadu Buhari to give repentant Boko Haram members and bandits N25,000 monthly stipends.
Hunger and poverty, according to Kanu-Uche, drove Northerners to embrace terrorism and banditry.
He emphasized that providing such stipends will deter young people from committing acts of terrorism.
The cleric told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the Federal Government should not underestimate Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s impact in the fight against banditry.
Gumi, he said, could assist the government in developing methods to combat banditry in the North.
Gumi’s access to bandits in the North, according to Kanu-Uche, may be utilized to beat them into submission.
The Islamic cleric from Kaduna had met with bandit leaders in their hideouts on multiple occasions.
Gumi recently requested the government to grant them amnesty.
However, the Methodist Prelate said: “Who are those collecting ransom for bandits? If the government rather than criticising Gumi, engages him positively, he can bring a solution. You don’t dismiss him and say he is a bad man.
”If he goes to the bush and they (bandits) have confidence in him, the government can dialogue with them.
“Let me tell you, these boys are being used by politicians. I am telling you to quote me.
“If you engage them and be paying them N25,000 monthly, they will not kidnap. All they want is food.”
