Special
Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, has
confirmed that the government is currently engaged in talks with the
violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram. It however said that the dialogue was
not the type envisaged by Nigerians.
The
Punch reported that Abati, who spoke to their correspondents Abuja,
said that, “talks are ongoing at the background. But the talks are not
the kinds being envisaged by Nigerians,”
According
to Abati “I know that some Nigerians are expecting that a venue should
be chosen and a banner will be placed there indicating that the Federal
Government is holding dialogue with the group there… That is not the
kind of talks we are talking about here. The ongoing talk is a back
channel one in which those who know members of the group are talking
with them on behalf of the government.”
The
sect, among others things, has asked for compensation for its killed
members; that its demolished mosque be rebuilt; that its members in
custody be released; and that the dialogue venue should be in Saudi
Arabia. It spoke through Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, the
second-in-command to its leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Source: Punch
