CAN, others blast Senate over Boko Haram education bill

On Thursday, the Nigerian senate commenced work on a bill for a law seeking the establishment of a national agency for education and rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram insurgents.

When it eventually becomes a law, it will ensure de-radicalisation of repentant Boko Haram militants and other insurgents. The bill, which was sponsored by the All Progressives Congress member representing Yobe East Senatorial District, and former governor of Yobe State, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, passed the first reading on Thursday.

But few hours after it passed the first reading, the bill attracted mixed reactions with the Chibok Community, which was attacked by the insurgents in 2014, and the Christian Association of Nigeria condemning it.

It was, however, supported by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

Reading the bill, Geidam, who is from the same state with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the document titled, “National agency for the education, rehabilitation, de-radicalisation and integration of repentant insurgents in Nigeria,” would ensure that repentant insurgents were fully integrated into society.

The proposed agency, according to the legislation, would provide educational opportunities for the insurgents.

It will also rehabilitate, de-radicalise and integrate the repentant insurgents in the country. The proposed agency, according to the bill, will provide recreational sports and fine arts programmes for the repentant insurgents.

CAN’s Director of Legal and Public Affairs,  Kwamkur Samuel, in a recent interview, said he was not aware of any nation that had successfully undertaken the project of de-radicalising, rehabilitating and empowering terrorists.

He stated, “We shall be ready for them at the public hearing on such bills. If the Federal Government is not having an ulterior motive of rewarding terrorism through that bill as most Nigerians believe, the FG, instead, would have put a bill in place that will provide adequate relief materials for victims of terrorism, and concrete measures proposed for adequate compensation for them as well.

Commenting on Geidam’s bill, the Chibok community in Borno State lambasted the Senate, saying the people of the North-East, not insurgents, needed urgent attention and rehabilitation.

Boko Haram had on April 14, 2014 attacked Chibok Secondary School, where they kidnapped 276 girls. On Tuesday, the insurgents again attacked the community.