Lugga urges Tinubu to consider amnesty option like Yar’adua

Ex- President’s handover note to Jonathan hijacked, says brother

AMBASSADOR of the Universal Peace Federation, New Y ork, Prof Sani Lugga, canvassed the adoption of an amnesty programme for terrorists and other non- state actors as an option to tackle the lingering security challenge in the country.

Lugga made the call, weekend, during the 14th memorial of the late President Umaru Yar’adua and the unveiling of the book What Yar’adua Told Me and Taught Me, a book written by Dr Muttaka Darma.

He said the call became necessary because the military offensive failed to tackle the problem and led to more suffering of the masses.

Suggesting that the amnesty programme be patterned after that of Yar’adua, which restored peace in the Niger Delta region, the don explained that the amnesty programme was not the same as the dialogue scheme some state governors implemented in the past when trying to address the security challenges in their various states.

“I plead with the federal and state governments to consider adopting an amnesty programme to tackle the security situation in the country. We are aware that the ( Katsina) state government has vowed not to dialogue with terrorists; this is the right thing because there is a difference between dialogue and amnesty.

“In dialogue, you call them and negotiate, and that is what some state governors did last time. When you do so, you would be negotiating from a position of weakness and such becomes counterproductive. But Yar’adua did not dialogue with the Niger Delta militants. He gave a 60- day grace and said that anyone that surrenders his weapon within the period would be forgiven, among other privileges,” the don said.