Former President John Rawlings has pointed out that while working to end the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, it is imperative to take a look at the root causes which give rise to such developments.
In a statement, the ex-President stated that “Boko Haram has made its point. However making such a point at the expense of the lives of innocent people – men, women and children is simply unacceptable.”
He noted that “the ease with which various local activists perpetrated acts of piracy and kidnapping on the oil coast of Nigeria was the first sign of our vulnerability.”
Mr. Rawlings mentioned that “military might and force is not enough to overcome terrorists with conviction.”
“I am in the name of Allah pleading for the return of the girls back to their families,” he pleaded.
There is frantic search in Nigeria to find the over 200 girls who were abducted in a school in northern Nigeria.
They were abducted from their boarding school on April 14 but they are yet to be found.
The Nigerian government has given the assurance the girls will be found and delivered to their parents safely.
The United States, Britain and France have volunteered in the search for the girls.
There is also a worldwide campaign through which people are demanding the release of the girls.
Boko Haram earlier threatened to sell the girls, but in a fresh video released on Monday, the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau said the children would be held until all imprisoned militants had been freed.
Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Abba Moro has however rejected the deal, saying, it as “absurd” for a “terrorist group” to try to set conditions.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan