Federal Government on Wednesday said the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states would still be in force despite the ceasefire deal with the leadership of Boko Haram.
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, Mr. Kabiru Turaki (SAN), stated this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he spoke to State House correspondents.
Turaki, who is the Minister of Special Duties, also said the leadership of the sect claimed that they were not responsible for the recent massacre of school children in Yobe State.
He said, “With the declaration and announcement of the ceasefire, I think the issue of the state of emergency will have to stay but in such a manner in which security agencies are fully satisfied that normalcy has been restored and that there is order and peace.
“Let us not forget the fact that with or without ceasefire, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the lives and properties of law-abiding Nigerians are protected wherever they are and in whatever circumstances.
“So I think it is the unfolding situation that will determine whether the security agencies on the ground will relax the period of the curfew. They will ultimately advise the appropriate authorities whether the need has arisen for the state of emergency to be removed.”
Turaki said although the sect had denied involvement in the Yobe killings, it remained the responsibility of security agencies to determine the truth.
He added, “In the course of the ceasefire negotiation, that issue (Yobe killings) was raised by journalists and they (Boko Haram members) denied that it was their members who did it.
“But, as far as the commission of crime is concerned, security agencies anywhere will not rely on the confessions for denial of supposed suspects as the basis for their investigation. I am sure Nigerian security agencies are very competent and they will look at all the facts and circumstances and then they will be able to carry out their investigation without bias, and then arrive at the final decision of who really was behind that unfortunate act.”
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