UN Disagrees With CAN, Says Nigeria Will Achieve Peace If Terrorists Are Reintegrated Into Society

Days after the Christian Association of Nigeria asked the federal government to reconsider its rehabilitation of repentant terrorists, the United Nations has expressed a contrary view.

While felicitating with all the Muslim faithful in Nigeria and the entire Muslim world on the auspicious occasion of the EIdil-Fitr celebration, the CAN had stated that the de-radicalisation of surrendered terrorists is obviously becoming pointless due to the rising insecurity in the country.

“In the same vein, we call on the Federal government to reconsider the de-radicalising and rehabilitating of the arrested and the surrendered terrorists simply because it seems the programme considered laudable is becoming counterproductive,” CAN stated on Sunday.

But when the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres visited Borno State, he said the best way to achieve peace is to re-integrate terrorists who want to return to normal life.

He said some of the terrorists were forced into such acts out of despair.

Guterres also urged relevant stakeholders to provide adequate security and means of livelihoods for its people.

“The people affected by terrorism I met in Borno, Nigeria want, above all, to go back home in safety and dignity.

“Borno is now a place of hope – showing that the way to fight terrorism effectively is to invest in livelihoods, reintegration and people’s futures.

“The people I met today in the IDP camp want to go back home in safety and dignity. The way to address terrorism effectively is to provide not only hope, but a future of reality. The best thing we can do for peace is reintegrate those that in a moment of despair became terrorists but want to now become citizens and to contribute to the well being of their brothers and sisters.

“When I went round with the thousands and thousands of people that were there. I saw smiles, I saw enthusiasm, hope and this is where we must invest,” he said in a video uploaded on his Twitter page on Wednesday.