Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has revealed that during his tenure, Boko Haram insurgents proposed former President Muhammadu Buhari as their emissary for peace talks with the Nigerian government.
Jonathan made this disclosure at the launch of SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and The Boko Haram Conundrum, a book by former Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor, held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
Jonathan reflected on efforts his administration made to explore non-military solutions to the insurgency. Committees were established to seek dialogue and negotiation as a means to end the conflict.
He also expressed that, while Buhari’s presidency was seen by some in his government as possibly helping to ease dialogue, the insurgency nevertheless continued unabated.
Jonathan lamented that the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 remains a defining and painful legacy of the fight against Boko Haram.
He also questioned the origins of the insurgents’ weaponry and suggested that external influences may be involved in fueling the conflict.
Advising the current administration, Jonathan proposed a dual approach combining incentives (“carrots”) and force (“stick”) to more effectively address Boko Haram’s hold.
He said that hunger and deprivation were factors that had been considered, and that previous efforts under his government had included setting up various mechanisms to address the crisis.
The defense minister, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, speaking at the same event, described SCARS as more than history; he called it a guide for current policy and a roadmap for dealing with future security challenges.
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