Don’t negotiate with Boko Haram, Coalition tells FG

The Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) has called on the federal government to shun any form of negotiation with Boko Haram.
The group, during a protest march to the Ministry of Defence in Abuja, advised the government not to allow any group or sect hold the nation to ransom through unreasonable demands.
‎Led by Comrade Daniel Obaje, Secretary General of CATE, the group also commended the military for wiping out the Boko Haram sect in the North-East.
Obaje said: “We all are not unaware of recent trends in the very successful fight against terrorism as instituted by the dedicated government of President Muhammadu Buhari which has achieved high percentage achievements in this area of ensuring national stability and peace.
“However, certain elements in the nation who have overtime benefitted from the spoils of violence and its antecedent followings have risen to distract the vision and drive of this administration to putting a final nail to the coffin of these saboteurs (terrorists).
It is common knowledge also that recently there have continued to be calls from several quarters for the federal government to consider the issue of negotiation with the terrorist group, Boko Haram even as certain personalities have suggested themselves as go between in this malevolent plot which will inadvertently circumvent the victory against terror.
“We are solely and totally in support of present position of the federal government to match strength for strength. It is gross sabotage for anyone to moot the idea of negotiation with the Boko Haram group who till date has not defined the purpose for their agitation.
“Any attempt to negotiate with terror groups in the country will rather serve as open invitation from other miscreants to hold the nation’s peace to ransome in anticipation of financial and other selfish aggrandisement as suggested for Boko Haram.
“The present military command has shown commitment and zeal to this struggle and any attempt to initiate negotiation will be aimed at demoralising the already motivated troops whose efforts may be viewed as futile. These selfless patriots have continued to show their strength on daily basis despite all the harsh and unconventional nature of the operation to safeguard our sovereignty”.
‎The coalition told the federal government that there is a certain group of crisis entrepreneurs, who have benefitted so much from the activities of these terrorist groups that are now willing to play on the military’s intelligence to allow these insurgents reorganise and launch more deadly attacks.
They called on the Nigerian military to rise and sustain the frontal attacks, so as to consolidate on the already achieved victory and ignore all diversionary tactics.