Boko Haram May Extend Operations To South, Iwuanyanwu Raises Alarm

Elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has called for a negotiation between the Federal Government and Boko Haram as a means of ending the insecurity and kidnapping in the country.

He said there are indications the sect may find roots in the south through kidnapping and banditry.

Iwuanyanwu, while speaking on the security situation in the country in a chat with Saturday Sun yesterday in Owerri expressed worry that if urgent steps are not taken, kidnappers would eventually overrun the country.

The elder statesman who claimed that kidnapping is another arm of Boko Haram warned that if a reconciliatory committee is not set up by the federal government, the sect might start recruiting its members from the South-South, Southwest and Southeast.

According to him, the committee must be chosen from the local government level, state and the centre, adding that members should be selected among political and other critical stakeholders in the country.

He claimed that the federal government is not doing much to curtail their excesses, which he said has caused the upsurge in crime.

“Kidnapping today is no longer a risky business, they have intimidated the Nigeria government in such a way that nobody makes effort to get them, so I believe that if they negotiate with Boko Haram, kidnapping will stop,” Iwuanyanwu stated.

He further said: “I believe that kidnapping is a business group of Boko Haram, buying of arms has increased kidnapping, I believe they put some of the proceeds of kidnapping in buying arms and the rest used for recruiting young people, if care is not taken they would start recruiting people from South-South, Southwest and Southeast, they are young lads who are looking for jobs”

Iwuanyanwu stated further, “insecurity in this country is unprecedented, essence of a government is to protect lives and property, but here in Nigeria, for some time we have been facing a very graven insecurity challenges, life in some places means nothing; our country men are being killed everyday and we continue to watch them helplessly.”

“,Take for instance, Boko Haram started few years ago, everybody thought it was a very simple matter, it has continued in spite of all assurance by the federal government, but they have never told us why this people are fighting. When the Niger Delta youth were carrying arms they told us the reason and it was solved.”