APC Wants Inquiry To Unravel Faces Behind Boko Haram

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for an international

inquiry into the activities of the terror group Boko Haram in order to

unravel its modus operandi and sponsors as well as any individual or group

that may have links with the insurgents, with a view to ending, once and

for all, the debate over who is behind the insurgency and also to

facilitate efforts to tackle it decisively
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity

Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the inquiry should include

intelligence experts from the US, UK, France and Canada, as well as

representatives of the UN and Nigeria's neighbours Cameroon, Chad and

Niger.
It also said that representatives of the Nigerian military and other

security agencies, especially the police and the Departments of State

Security, Governments of the states worst-hit by the Boko Haram

insurgency, including Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa, the

Federal Capital Territory, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the

Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Civil Society Organisations, the

Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, National Human Rights

Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association and any other relevant

individuals or groups.
APC said major political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party

and the All Progressives Congress, must be represented on the panel of

inquiry, whose findings must be made public and those found to have any

links with the insurgents be made to face the full wrath of the law.

”We hope the PDP-led federal government, which has led the incessant but

baseless campaign to point accusing fingers at the opposition, especially

our party the APC, will give its total support to the immediate

constitution of this international panel of inquiry. We have no doubt that

the international community will give its unalloyed support to this

inquiry, in view of the trans-national nature of the insurgency and the

threat posed by terrorism to global peace and security,” the party said.

APC added: ”On our part, we pledge our total support for this inquiry

anytime it is launched, but hopefully very soon. Our party, which is

barely one year old, has been at the receiving end of diversionary,

carefully-choreographed and blatantly irresponsible point-blank

accusations as well as insinuations of sponsoring Boko Haram, not minding

that the group's activities date as far back as 2002 when there was no

APC.
”These accusations and insinuations have become so virulent and have

indeed reached a level where one begins to wonder whether those behind the

finger-pointing are actually trying to divert attention from their own

culpability and whether they have even more sinister motives for their

finger-pointing.
”Whatever their motives are, let the international inquiry we are seeking

be launched urgently and let the findings be published for all Nigerians

to see. Anyone opposed to this call for an international inquiry will have

a lot of explanations to make to Nigerians as well as to the international

community.
”Enough is enough. The daily killing, maiming and abduction of innocent

Nigerians, as a clueless Federal Government looks on, must end. The

pervasive insecurity that has crippled Nigeria since this insurgency

started must be halted. Those behind it must be unraveled and prosecuted.

Let the inquiry begin!'