The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Dr Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu-Uche, has advised the Federal Government to grant amnesty to the detained leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; and Yoruba nationalist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, to end the clamour for self-determination in southern Nigeria.
He also proposed N25,000 stipend for repentant Boko Haram and bandits.
Kanu-Uche in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said many prominent people in the country had the listening ears of the agitators, who the government could use to dialogue with the separatist champions.
He also suggested that the Federal Government should pay N25,000 monthly stipend to repentant bandits and Boko Haram members, since hunger and poverty drove many of them to embrace terror and banditry.
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He told the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), not to underestimate the influence Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi could exert over the bandits in the North.
He said, “If the government, rather than criticising Gumi, engages him positively, he can bring a solution. You don’t dismiss him and say he is a bad man. If he goes to the bush and they (bandits) have confidence in him, the government can dialogue with them.
“Let me tell you, these boys are being used by politicians. If you engage them and be paying them N25,000 monthly, they will not kidnap. All they want is food
I support amnesty for them, the way it was done in the Niger Delta region; it quelled the tension.
“Let government also offer amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo, and say ‘come, let us dialogue’.
“I have volunteered to dialogue with Christians from the South-East, let the Federal Government involve me and people like Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. It is not that we are part of the clamour for secession, but we know how to talk to our people. Let them involve some of the notable bishops.”
