Pantami Saga: Video Of Army Commander Saying Repentant Terrorists Can Become President Resurfaces On Social Media

Coming from the utter of higgledy-piggledy over Isa Pantami’s antecedent, a video has re-emerged on social media showing the General Officer Commanding the 7 Division, Major General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu, saying that repentant Boko Haram terrorists can become Nigerian president.

According to the video that has gone viral on social media, the army commander spoke on July 21, 2019 during an interview with journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

“Boko Haram should lay their arms unconditionally and be accepted. Opportunities are out there for them, they can be rehabilitated.

“An ex Boko Haram having laid his arms and turned away from his negativity, stands to be a president of this country; he stands to aspire to any position in this country. Why is he wasting his time when he cannot even deliver?” Biu had said.

Some two years after, the viral video has resurfaced online following a statement by presidential aide, Garba Shehu, on Thursday that the Muhammadu Buhari regime stands with Pantami.

The communications minister has been in the eye of the storm of late over past pro-Taliban comments supporting terrorist activities. Though he has since renounced the comments, blaming immaturity, many Nigerians continue to demand his sacking or resignation.

But in the statement on Thursday, Shehu ruled out the possibility of the sacking the minister, saying, “The minister has, rightly, apologized for what he said in the early 2000s. The views were absolutely unacceptable then, and would be equally unacceptable today, were he to repeat them. But he will not repeat them – for he has publicly and permanently condemned his earlier utterances as wrong.”