B/Haram: Cleric backs whistle blowing on suicide attacks

The Northern Inter-Faith and Religious Organisation for peace has canvassed for the adoption of a whistle-blowing policy to exterminate the Boko Haram terrorist.

Bishop Edward Chanamiýmade made the call yesterday in Abuja, while addressing a press briefing on whistle-blowing on suicide bombers and forty days prayer for the capture of Abubakar Shekau.

According to him, “We have observed with concern the recent string of events in which the Boko Haram terrorists that were taking flight upon their resounding defeat in Camp Zero of Sambisa forest are attempting to re-constitute themselves into threats to the rest of us.

ý”It is for this reason that we are revisiting the whistleblowers policy of the military in the counter-terrorism war. We recall that the Nigerian Army, not long ago offered N500,000 to some whistleblowers as reward for providing information about suicide bombers. This practice has been in place for some time but it appears Nigerians are not tapping into it as a way of helping to make their own communities secured and safer.

“Our appeal is that the military should consider varying the rewards for whistle-blowing. Fear of retribution from the terrorists could be holding back some citizens that have vital information. To this end, we suggest that the reward for certain level of whistle-blowing should include offer of relocation and provision of new identities under a whistleblower protection programme. This would not only instil confidence in volunteering information but will encourage those that are in doubt to step forward,” he said.