FG, Boko Haram Begin Peace Talks

Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi has said through his intervention, there is ongoing dialogue between the Federal Government and Jama’atu Ahlussiunnnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad known as Boko Haram.

Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi disclosed this yesterday while briefing journalists on the birthday of Great Tijjaniyya, the late Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass in Bauchi. He said: “Several months back we started making effort to intervene and negotiate between the Boko Haram and Federal Government.

“We did our best and located them through a scholar in Damaturu called Sheikh Umar Mohammed Diyar, we told them that ongoing killings of people was not in the interest of Islam, because presently, under peace in my schools over 600 people memorized the Holy Qur’an last year, if there was no peace, how could we get hundreds of Qur’anic memorizers.”

The scholar said the members told him that Muslims who were on the path of Allah didn’t seek for dialogue, quoting a verse from the Holy Qur’an; the scholar said he quoted another verse to them in another chapter which says if they seek for dialogue and cease fire you should agree.


He said after they discussed with the sect, they agreed that they would dialogue with Federal Government through him because they believe he would not betray the trust they had in him. After that, I told them I would meet the Federal Government and they would seek for dialogue. “We met with Federal Government and we told them that they had fire in their hands and these people also had fire and fire can’t quench fire, so let’s resolve to dialogue.They agreed. The Federal Government then asked Bauchi State Government to set up a committee through which they could dialogue with them.

“I invited a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Alhaji Aminu Saleh Wamban Katagum, who said he would only be with me not with the Federal Government or the group and we agreed.“After we met, we went back to them and told them that the Federal Government had agreed to dialogue with them on condition that their leader would come out and announce a cease fire for three months or minimum of 40 days and government would stop arresting their members. They replied that they wanted it in writing and the government wrote a letter to them through me. After we waited for some time, we asked them for a reply to the letter they said they wanted the government to put the letter on the pages of newspapers so that everybody would read and see.”

The scholar said that was the reason why he invited journalists to show them the letter which was written to the sect by the Federal Government through the committee set up by the state government. The letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Bauchi Government House, Abdu Aliyu Ilelah on behalf of the committee, entitled: Federal Government Committee on Negotiations With Jama’atul Ahlussunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad: The Committee set up by the Federal Government Of Nigeria hereby appreciates the decision and commitment of Jama’atul Ahlusunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad to negotiate peace with government through Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, Federal Government of Nigeria, on its own part embraces the gesture and pledges to negotiate peace through Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, we also hope that on its part, Jama’atu Ahlussunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad will observe a cease fire and present terms for negotiations so that dialoque can commence.”