The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says contrary to reports that the federal government would not prosecute repentant Boko Haram members, the Buhari regime can prosecute the insurgents if it wants to.
The minister, who spoke in Washington DC, U.S. on Saturday, said he was misrepresented in the earlier report and added that “the decision of the Federal Government not to prosecute repentant insurgents was in line with global best practice.”
Mr Mohammed maintained his position that calls for the shooting of the repentant insurgents without profiling and prosecution was against best global practice.
“I personally spoke to the military authority before I left Nigeria and they said what they were doing is what the global practice dictates about soldiers that surrendered that should be treated as prisoners of war.
“You cannot just shoot them because there are international conventions that give rights also to prisoners of war.
“What the military is doing is that, when they surrender, they profile them to ensure that they are genuine and reintegrate them into the society,” he said.