Northern Christians Reject Terrorists’ Rehabilitation, Back State Police

Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, formerly referred to as Northern CAN, has criticised the federal government’s policy on the integration of repentant terrorists into society.

It endorsed the creation of state police, saying that  it would boost the security of Nigerians at the grassroots.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the chairman of the association also referred to as Forum of Northern Christian, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, said it was sad that people who caused other Nigerians pain were getting better treatment from the government.

He said, “The government is not even caring about the victims. How can you incorporate people who have caused harm when you have not genuinely understood their commitment to change?

“When you speak with the government, they will give you some excuses. But certainly today, the government knows that we are suffering because of their poor decision. Because some of those who claim to have repented but have not genuinely repented are integrated, they will return and cause the community a second harm, creating a double tragedy. Some of them are even integrated into the army, becoming a source of betrayal within the system.

“I am a pastor who preaches repentance, who preaches renewal, who preaches restoration, but I only understand repentance, renewal and restoration where there is evidence of true change. Not politicisation, but what is happening is that this whole issue of repentant Boko Haram is purely another system of helping some people to get quick money,” he said.

Hayab lamented that “the last time I went to Maiduguri and visited the IDP camp, the state of the IDP camp is dilapidated in the sense that if you move there for five minutes you will feel sick because of what you are perceiving we decided to discuss with them the need for us to build a new bigger solar powered bole hole where they can wash their clothes, and then it’s draining all the water in the IDP camp into that place. ”

On State Police, Reverend Hayab maintained that “we have a unique situation—a situation where criminals and terrorists are invading our lands, our territories and killing us. Unfortunately, our federal police system does not understand certain things. The federal police are good and can perform, but you see, when you send someone from Katsina, Kaduna, or Zamfara to the Riverine area, he has not even learnt how to swim, and you want him to arrest criminals across the river, he will not do it. So the only thing he will do is to join others in collecting “offerings”. And when I use “offering” in the service, you know that it’s a little bribe and claim that things are right. So there is a problem there.

According to him, “to address this crime, we need local cooperation. And then we are saying, to add local cooperation, we need a force that is also local in nature.  If my brother is the one in charge of the police around us, and then he will allow total strangers to come and destroy our village, that means they will destroy his village and his own family house too. That’s our thinking. ”