Chibok Girls: No Dialogue With Boko Haram, Mark Reaffirms
Insists On Full Military Option
BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 04, (THEWILL) â€' President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, at the weekend warned that there will be no dialogue with the Boko Haram to release the girls they abducted in Chibok a fortnight ago.
Mark however, prayed God to touch the captors' heart to release the girls and boys in their custody unconditionally. This was even as he insists on maximum military option.
'I have been an advocate of dialogue with the Boko Haram elements in this country. But things have gone absolutely beyond bound and no government will negotiate with Boko Haram as long as they keep our girls and our boys.
'They must free those they have abducted unconditionally. Nobody is going to negotiate with them on that basis', he said.
Senator Mark spoke in Asaba, Delta State, at St. Patrick Catholic Church during the funeral service for Lady Obi-Bridget Ngbelenwa Okpuno, mother of High Chief Uche Okpuno.
'The current situation in the country where some children have taken arms against their own country is totally unacceptable. Parents must share in the blame,' he said.
Nonetheless, he prayed God to touch the hearts of the abductors of the girls to free them unconditionally even as he insisted that negotiation was no longer an option but full military action against the perpetrators.
'They have touched the hearts and souls of Nigerians by abducting and kidnapping our children. Children are our future. They have in effect declared war on Nigeria and Nigerians . We are not going to sit down and fold our hands. The Federal Government must intensify military action against the perpetrators and bring the issue of Boko Haram to a logical conclusion,' Senator Mark stressed.
'They must have taken government decision to negotiate with them for weakness. They must not . Nigerian armed forces have performed creditably well across the globe. They will do even better at home to preserve our unity and sovereignty.
'They must never test the will of the government. They must never test the will of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Above all, they must never test the will of the Nigerian people because we must stand united against evil.'
He prayed that the almighty God touches the hearts of all those involved either as sponsors, individuals or in the name of Boko Haram so that they would change their minds.
'But while we pray,'he added ,' we will take the battle to their own ground. They should return their victims unconditionally, before we can call for dialogue.'
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State in his remarks urged the citizens to abhor acts capable of undermining the peace, unity and security of the nation.
Earlier, the Priest of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Leonard Biachi, harped on good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence as a panacea to lingering crisis in the country.
EMMA UCHE, ABUJA