on Security Challenges in the North, Tanimu Turaki, on Sunday ruled
out any form of compensation for victims of the Boko Haram insurgency
in some parts of the North.
Addressing Muslim leaders, who gathered at the National Conference on
the Role of Muslim Scholars, organised by the Jama'atul Nasril Islam
in Kaduna, Turaki, however, said those to be compensated were security
operatives, who lost their lives during the incidents.
Turaki said, "Government cannot pay compensation but it will support
victims. It will compensate military personnel that were affected by
this insurgency.
"Government will not have the capacity to give compensation because of
the number of victims involved in the insurgency incidents".
Turaki, who led other members of the committee to the conference, also
asked Muslim leaders, among them the Sultan of Sokoto and President
General of the JNI, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar lll, to appeal to the group
(Boko Haram) to embrace dialogue, adding that Islam, as a religion,
encourages dialogue.
He said, "How do you compensate somebody who has lost family members?
How much will you compensate him with when he is battling with the
psychological effect of the incidents?"
The presidential committee chairman, who claimed that his team was at
the meeting to impress it upon the leadership of the JNI to talk to
the sect on the need for dialogue, said since the sect believed in
Islam, its members should also imbibe the tenets of the religion.
He said even in countries like Afghanistan, Syria and in Nigeria
during the civil war, dialogue was used as the last resort to resolve
the problems.
Turaki insisted that there was no crisis or difference that could not
be settled through dialogue.
He said, "So, we beg for prayers because there is no evil that prayer
cannot solve.
"No matter the ideology of Boko Haram, it is twisted towards Islam. It
is very unfortunate. We therefore want this conference to examine the
immediate and remote causes of the growing insurgency in the region."
"So far, we have had robust discussions with Muslim leaders,
government officials, traditional rulers and clerics.
"We pray this conference will call on them to come out and embrace
dialogue. If you are using the name of the Prophet, then there is room
for dialogue. It is respectful to come and dialogue; we are all ready
for dialogue."
He added, "Even wars in other countries of the world, and coming back
home, the Biafra/Nigeria civil war, provided an opportunity for
dialogue because it is not war that bring peace, but dialogue. So, let
them give peace a chance, and let them embrace dialogue."
