APC to Boko Haram: let there be peace

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called
on members of the Islamic fundamentalist-
Boko Haram to cease all attacks and embrace
dialogue in the interest of national peace and
security. The plea followed what is
undoubtedly a resurgence of deadly attacks
believed to be perpetrated by the sect.
In a statement in Warri, Delta State by its
Interim National Publicity, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, the party condemned the latest of
such attacks that left many students of the
College of Agriculture in Yobe dead and injured
on Sunday. It described the killings dastardly,
senseless and indefensible.
The party called on traditional, religious,
political and opinion leaders in the affected
areas to intervene urgently to end the cycle of
violence being perpetrated by the sect.
‘’It is clear that this Boko Haram menace
cannot be resolved by the government alone,
hence all stakeholders must urgently intervene
to complement government’s efforts to end the
insurgency and get those behind it to embrace
dialogue.
‘’There can be no justification for Boko Haram
sect to continue to kill and maim innocent
citizens, especially because the victims are not
just fellow Nigerians like them, but most are
actually their kith and kin,’’ APC said.
The party described the continued violence by
the sect as inexcusable, especially at a time
that the government has offered an Olive
Branch by setting up a committee for dialogue.
‘’We in the APC have been unrelenting in our
advocacy for dialogue as a way of ending the
insurgency. Fortunately, the government has
also embraced dialogue, after initially resisting
it as an option.
‘’Boko Haram should remember that they are
not fighting an external war, and that their
grievances, whatever they are, can never be
resolved by continued killing, maiming and
plundering. They must therefore put an
immediate end to their cycle of violence and
opt for dialogue. The longer this violence
continues, the more difficult it becomes to
resolve. Enough is enough!’’ it said.