Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos, Sani Kabir Thursday said that northerners in the South West
have arrested more than 1000 members of the Boko Haram insurgents in parts of
the South West of Nigeria.
Speaking when the Arewa Council of Chiefs in the South West paid a visit to the
Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki,
in the Minister’s office, Kabir said the arrests were made at different times.
According to him, those arrested were Boko Haram members who fled from the
Civilian JTF/military onslaught on the insurgents in the North East and those
who came to the South West to further the insurgency.
He said the Council has taken it up itself to ensure that Boko Haram did not
take root in the South West because according to him, such a development would
complicate the security challenges facing Nigeria.
“So far in the South west, we have peace and this is achieved through the
collaboration of Arewa people and Arewa chiefs.
“If you can confirm with the security agencies, we have arrested more tham 1000
Boko Haram members throughout the south west states. Any suspicious movement,
we promptly report to the security agents because we believe that the problem
is actually the Nigerian problem but if there is any breakdown of law and order
in the south west, we are the prime targets irrespective of whether you are a
member of Boko Haram or not.
“All the Arewa Sarkis (kings) in the south west are up and doing to make sure
that we do not allow any breakdown of law and order in our communities.”
On how they did the arrest, he said, “we inform our leaders that when new
people come into their midst, and they observe their behaviour. Some of the
leaders in the south west are northerners, some of them are from Borno state,
they can know.
There were even instances where JTF do come from Borno state to identify some
of them,” adding that those identified as Boko Haram members were immediately
handed over to security agencies.
On their support for the re-election President Goodluck Jonathan, Kabir said,
“I will like to start by going back to 2011 electioneering campaign. There was
a team that was led by the President and the vice president and they met with
the Council members and we pledged to give our assistance and support during
the election period and beyond. Since that time, there has been no
communication between us and the president or the federal government.
“We now see that we are marching towards election; so the Arewa chiefs in the
south west decided that there is the need for us to get in touch with the
President so that we can actually interact with him and then see where we can assist
and know who can be our contact man since we are not regular politicians who
can come out in the open. As the leaders of our people, we want to know how we
can assist him before the election campaign starts.
Responding, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabir
Tanimu Turaki who received the group on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan
thanked the Arewa leaders for their efforts to ensure that insurgency did not
extend to the south west.
“I want to thank you for the enormous support you have given to this government
and for the enormous support you have given to Mr. President as a person right
from the time of the 2011 electioneering campaigns to date.
“Yet there have been calls by a lot of Nigerians from virtually all sectors,
from eminent Nigerians, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), asking Mr.
President to declare interest to contest 2015 general elections. Mr. President
is a person who consults, not only on state matters but on matters that affect
him as a person.
“So, in spite of the rapidness, frequency, and enormity of these calls, Mr.
President has consistently said that he was not going to be rushed into taking
any decision without consulting a broad spectrum of Nigerians, feeling their
pulse, and their opinion before making up his mind.
Having laid a solid foundation for Nigeria, it is only fair that the tree Mr.
President is now planting is allowed to be well watered, to be well-nurtured,
for it to grow into a very strong tree that will be able to, at the end of the
day, to serve the interest of every Nigerian.
It is also important that as Mr. President makes up his mind, that there should
be open channels of communication so that there can be free flow of information
between concerned community leaders like yourselves on one hand and the
government and Mr. President on the other. I will take this message to Mr.
president and I am sure that Mr. President will direct who will serve as that
appropriate link between him and you.
On the issue of security, I want to thank you very much for the efforts the
Arewa Council of Chiefs in the south west is making, working with security
agencies to ensure that the security challenges we have in the north east does
not extend to the south west.
