The leadership of Jama’atu Ahlussiunnnati lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, has debunked media reports credited to Sheik Dahiru Bauchi that he is moderating a dialogue between the sect and Federal Government.
The leadership of Jama’atu Ahlussiunnnati lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, has debunked media reports credited to Sheik Dahiru Bauchi that he is moderating a dialogue between the sect and Federal Government.
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It said that since the dialogue effort initiated by Dr. Ibrahim Datti collapsed, the sect closed all avenues of a dialogue “because the Prophet has said that a pious person cannot be cheated twice in the same spot.”
The sect, under the leadership of Imam Abu Muhammad Abubakar bin Muhammad Shekau, said in the statement in Maiduguri that it has not entered into any discussion with Sheik Bauchi, and urged him to respect his age and avoid being used by serial deceivers.
In the statement, written in Hausa, the sect stressed that it cannot be deceived and will not condone cajoling.
“We have heard stories in the media that our group had agreed to a dialogue with the Nigerian government through Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi. Well, we wish to inform the public that there is no iota of truth in that story. We therefore call upon Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi to continue to respect himself as an elder statesman and not to allow some deceivers to make him lose his integrity. We do not have link with anybody on any issue like this ever since the collapse of moves for dialogue initiated by Dr Ibrahim Datti. And ever since that time we closed all avenues of a dialogue because the Prophet has said that a pious person cannot be cheated twice in the same spot.”
Sheik Dahiru Bauchi had said on Tuesday that he is spearheading the dialogue effort.
According to him, “Several months back we started making effort to intervene and negotiate between the Boko Haram and the Federal Government,” he said. “We did our best and located them through a scholar called Sheikh Umar Mohammed Diyar in Damaturu who assisted us. We told them that ongoing killing of people is not in the interest of Islam because presently, under a peaceful atmosphere, in my schools, over 600 people are able to memorize the Holy Qur’an. If there is no peace, how can we get hundreds of Qur’anic memorizers? We discussed and they agreed that they will dialogue with Federal Government through me because they believed I would not fail the trust they bestowed on me. And after that I told them I will meet the Federal Government.”
Continuing, he said, “We met the Federal Government and told them that they have fire in their hands and these people also have fire and fire can’t quench fire so let’s resolve to dialogue and they agreed. The Federal Government asked Bauchi State Government to set up a committee to dialogue through them, and we started me, the Principal Personal Secretary, PPS, to President Jonathan, Hassan Tukur.
“I also needed someone who knows the activities of government so I invited a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Alhaji Aminu Saleh, Wamban Katagum, who said he would be with me. After we met we went back to them (Boko Haram) and told them that the Federal Government had agreed to dialogue with them on condition that their leader would come out and announce a cease fire for three months or a minimum of 40 days and government will stop arresting their members.
Sheikh Bauchi said the sect said they wanted that commitment in writing and the Government wrote a letter to them through him and he delivered it to the sect.
“We waited for some time and asked them the reply of the letter and they said they want the government to publicise the letter in the newspapers so that everybody will read and see.”
President Jonathan has vowed to end the Boko Haram challenge this month.
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