Former President of the Court of Appeal, retired Justice Mustapha Akanbi, said dialogue remained the best option to resolving the Boko Haram crisis.
Akanbi made the call at the 9th Annual Lecture of Aelex Legal Practitioners and Arbitrators in Lagos on Thursday in a lecture entitled: “In God’s Name: Politics, Religion and Economic Development.’’
He said members of the sect cannot be true Muslims, adding that Islam does not permit anybody to engage in the destruction of lives and property.
“The people called Boko Haram cannot be true Muslims because Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have been living peacefully.
“It is an evil that has come to us and we must find a common solution to solving it through dialogue,” he said.
Akande also cautioned politicians not to politicise the crisis, stressing that they should be concerned with service to the electorate.
Prof. Timothy Shah, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Government Department, Georgetown University, USA, said there was a global increase in religious militancy.
Shah said Nigeria was one of the hotspots of religious conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially with the activities of the Boko Haram sect.
He said rising expectations and worsening realities were the causes of rising religious conflicts across the world, especially in countries like Egypt and Myanmar.
The don said there was a link between religion, politics and economic growth, stressing that Nigeria and other countries must channel their efforts toward eradicating the menace.
Shah said: “Religious freedom fosters human capital while service-oriented Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) attract diversity of immigrants and build social network.
“All these promote economic prosperity and development.’’
