Nigerians have continued to express concerns over the latest video footage released by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
In the video, he addressed his fighters to lay down their arms and surrender.
A group of concerned women under the umbrella, “Coalition for Women Advancement in Africa” (COWAA) has said the development is a significant progress for country and also the military in the war against the Boko Haram insurgency.
In a press conference on Sunday, Executive Vice President of the group, Mrs Jummai Samuel Pukat said the group in its quest to authenticate the video, has recruited the services of forensic experts and can ascertain the veracity of the video by Shekau.
Pukat however, called on the Nigeria army to sustain its onslaught against the few remaining terrorists who may want to continue with their nefarious crimes.
She said, “We have authoritatively confirmed the video after subjecting it to scientific scrutiny.
“[We] wish to say it is authentic and represents the reaction of the group to the ongoing merciless onslaught being carried out by the Nigerian Army.
“As mothers of the nation we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to see to an amnesty for those who are ready to lay down their arms.
“[We] encourage the Nigerian Army to flush out every criminal elements or factional group that fails to utilize the opportunity of the declaration of surrender.
“Abubakar Shekau has been known over the years as the leader of the group.
“In the same spirit of a new Nigeria devoid of the killings, kidnappings and terrorism.
“Nigerians are elated to view the video of their longest nightmare in the person of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau almost groveling as he declared that ‘I am finished’.
“Those welcome words about being finished, we believe, equally applies to the terror group with which he brought this country down to its knees.
“The body language of the Shekau we saw in the video was that of a man who together with his minion are receiving the drubbing of their lives from the Nigerian Army ably supported by the Air Force.”
“The video and proclamation by Shekau should be seen as a major breakthrough in the nation’s war against terrorism.
“In that video, we see and heard a Shekau who finally had the sense to admit that the end is nigh.
“We see a Shekau who has become gaunt ostensibly because the Army has successfully disrupted the supply routes for his terror group’s vital supplies.
“We see a Shekau who, for the first time, lost the ability to harangue the Nigerian state as he was not able to hop from one feet to the other.
“We see a Shekau whom the Nigerian Army has deprived of the succour and support of his devilish Amirs (commanders), who fell to the superior will of our gallant troops in quick succession.
“We see a Shekau that has been abandoned by the abominable Daesh (Islamic State) to which he pledged allegiance.
“We see a Shekau who is facing internal rebellion within the band of bloodthirsty imps that he has gathered.
“We see a Shekau at the end of his tethers and with the full knowledge that he deserves whatever he has coming for him.
“We see a Shekau that is in need of a finishing off; and we see a Shekau who must not get the mercy that he never showed his thousands victims.”
“The group commended the Army for sustaining the onslaught on the terrorists in a manner that the degraded Boko Haram to the point where Shekau was flushed out to give proof of life to his own so called followers.
“However, our wish is to reiterate our resolve for lasting peace.
“We cannot get lasting peace by allowing Shekau and his remaining Amirs the luxury of being able to re-group and restore their ability to take on the Nigerian Army.
“The decision makers in the Army should let the federal government know what is needed to help these abominations called terrorists keep their appointments with their makers,” she said
She said the Army must not relent, but should get more ammunitions and artillery to further decimate the ranks of terrorists.
She said that Shekau, as the head of Boko Haram, deserves whatever he gets.
But that amnesty should be handed over to all those who were forcefully indoctrinated into the terror group’s criminality as a way of further decimating whatever structure the criminal thought would survive him.
“We reiterate our position that Amnesty should be granted to those who were forcefully indoctrinated into the movement while those who wish to remain on are treated as mere criminals by the Nigerian Army.”
She said the immediate rescue of the 16 women abducted by Boko Haram should be commended by all Nigerians, stressing that the timely rescue should be a reminder that anyone abducted shall be found and set free.
Jeremiah Emmanson