President Muhammadu Buhari has told the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, he is ready to negotiate for the release of Chibok school girls, but that the challenge is identifying the bona fide leaders of Boko Haram in whose custody they are being held.
President Buhari, who spoke at a bilateral meeting with the UN scribe at the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York, emphasized that he is willing to bend over backwards, to get the Chibok girls released from captivity.
“The challenge is in getting credible and bona fide leadership of Boko Haram to discuss with. The split in the insurgent group is not helping matters. Government had reached out, ready to negotiate, but it became difficult to identify credible leaders. We will welcome intermediaries such as UN outfits, to step in.”
The President reiterated that the teachings of Boko Haram are far from being Islamic, as neither Islam, nor any other religion advocates hurting the weak and innocent.
“The fact that they kill men, women, children, and other people wantonly, and shout Allahu Akbar (God is great) shows that they do not know Allah at all. If they did, they would not shed innocent blood.”
He thanked Ban Ki-moon for the moral and material support given to Nigeria, which has enabled the country surmount many of the challenges facing it.
Responding, the UN Secretary General congratulated President Buhari on the anti-corruption war, saying: “you are highly respected by world leaders, including myself. Your persona has given your country a positive image.”
He said that the UN recognized the achievements of the Buhari administration against Boko Haram, advising that human rights be upheld always, to prevent a repeat of the scenario being witnessed in Syria.
Ban Ki-moon also thanked the Nigerian leader for his commitment to issues on climate change and that the government should “own the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” for the good of its citizens. [myad]
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