The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has refuted claims circulating on social media alleging that it endorsed amnesty and financial payments to terrorists and bandits.
The clarification was contained in a statement issued by Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, National Publicity Secretary of the forum.
Muhammad-Baba said the claim stemmed from a “truncated and mischievously abstracted” video clip extracted from a recent interview granted to a television station by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the forum.
He said the circulating clip was “taken out of context… to reach some predetermined conclusion(s), especially as being publicised by some clandestine and shadowy individuals or group(s).”
According to him, Dalhatu’s comments were largely personal and were misrepresented to suggest that the forum supported an amnesty programme similar to that of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for Niger Delta militants.
“First, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu spoke mostly in his personal capacity, only sporadically alluding to official perspectives,” the statement said.
Muhammad-Baba explained that in the full interview, Dalhatu had “assertively and emphatically condemned the spate of terrorist activities in Nigeria” and called for “the total annihilation of the terrorists and bandits… within the shortest period possible.”
He added that the reference to the Niger Delta amnesty was only to emphasise that government could, where expedient, consider both kinetic and non-kinetic options, and not a call for an identical programme.
“He did not categorically propose the unadulterated application of the same pathway,” the ACF said, adding that Dalhatu merely noted that people were entitled to their opinions on possible solutions.
Muhammad-Baba also stressed that Dalhatu made no ethnic or religious references in discussing terrorists or bandits, describing contrary interpretations as “vile reactions of some mischievous, clandestine and shadowy group(s).”
The ACF said it was necessary to publicly clarify its position due to “the gravity of the allegation.”
“ACF hereby makes it categorically and unambiguously clear that at no time has the organisation called for any amnesty in favour of any terrorists or bandits,” the statement added.
The forum reaffirmed its support for government efforts to end insecurity.
“As always, ACF pledges full and unalloyed support to the Government and the security agencies in their various endeavours to stamp out the scourge of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria,” it said.
