Stop fueling Boko Haram for economic gains, group urges stakeholders

Arewa Youth Leaders Forum has urged stakeholders in the north east who it accused of deliberately sabotaging the federal government’s efforts at restoring peace to the region for personal gains to desist from doing so in the interest of peace.

Youth Forum urged the stakeholders to instead recommit themselves to the war against Boko Haram and terrorism. It said once the remnants of the Boko Haram fighters and intellectual wing no longer get financial and political lifelines from sympathizers and backers, the war will end once and for all.

Addressing journalists National President of the youth group, Adamu Adamu said the military and the relevant security agencies should get the marching order to expand the scope of operations in the northeast to include the identification, investigation, arrest and prosecution of sponsors and beneficiaries of Boko Haram’s violent acts.

He said the youths in the course of interaction with highly placed stakeholders have learnt that the people behind the attempts at resurgence by Boko Haram see themselves as protecting their economic interests.

He said, “It however leaves us wondering if the embezzlement of money meant for IDPs camps or money for brokering negotiations with terrorists is worth killing other people for. This is utterly condemnable and Nigerians should unite in condemning it.

“Equally condemnable are those that are exploiting terrorism to further their political interests. People must be made to realize that it is better to make themselves politically acceptable to the electorate as opposed to sponsoring killers to destabilize an entire regions and wantonly waste human life.”

According to Adamu, the Federal Government must at this point take off the gloves and openly take on “these sponsors of terrorism since they have shown that they are not likely to voluntarily have a change of heart and allow the country live in peace.”

He expressed joy that youths and non-governmental players have taken the initiative to win the peace in the region as evident in the recent North East Mega Rally for Peace.