•Chibok girls: BBOG marches on Aso Rock Monday
From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Federal Government said it has adopted a new strategy for the screening of suspected Boko Haram members and other insurgents.
It also announced that it is developing a national terrorism database and providing training in investigative interviewing techniques and evidence collection based on national legislations and the rule of law.
National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Munguno, who made this known explained that under the new arrangement, prosecution for criminal offences committed by Boko Haram insurgents would be conducted where it is in the public interest to do so, and the right to a fair trial of all people suspected of terrorism fully respected.
Munguno, who represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services Office, Mr. Aliyu Suleiman, spoke at a parley alongside the Chief of Defence Staff and the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja. The meeting was organised in conjunction with International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
He said government has adopted new approaches to integrate a comprehensive demobilisation, disassociation, reintegration and reconciliation strategy into its existing policy framework.
He assured that legal frameworks would be strengthened with standard guidelines developed to reinforce access to justice, improve the detention conditions and protect human rights.
The NSA pledged government’s readiness to grant full access to Boko Haram suspects and victims.
While calling on international communities including donor agencies, civil society to play important roles in addressing the challenges, the NSA, disclosed that government have received technical assistance on strengthening the criminal justice approaches in dealing with terrorism which has yielded positive results.
Meanwhile, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement said it would march on the Presidential Villa again on Monday.
The movement said in a statement that it would stage the protest to ascertain what the Federal Government was doing to secure the release of the remaining 113 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram’s captivity.
The Boko Haram sect had earlier released 82 of the girls in May.
“In four months, our 113 missing Chibok girls would be in captivity for four years. Our demands are clear. We want concrete actions to bring them back home,” the BBOG said.
. Our movement is not moved by tokenist
mentions and sound bites about our Chibok girls. “Furthermore,
President Muhammadu Buhari has up till now failed or refused to take
ownership of the abduction of our Lassa women and University of
Maiduguri lecturers. “For these reasons, we resume of marches to the
State House on Monday 11 December 2017. Takeoff place is Unity
Fountain Abuja. Time is 9am daily.”
Boko Haram insurgents abducted 276 girls from Government Girls
Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state on April 14, 2014. The federal
government, after a prisoner-swap deal with the insurgents, secured
the release of 82 of the girls in May while another 21 girls were
released five months later.