Why Jonathan ordered release of BokoHaram women, children, others- Okupe

President Jonathan has given a directive
for people detained in connection with
Boko Haram activities to be released.
The presidency on Wednesday explained its
decision to authorise the release of
women, children and other suspected Boko
Haram members currently being detained by
Nigeria’s security agencies.
The Nigerian military on Tuesday said it
had received a directive from President
Goodluck Jonathan to release all the women
being held in connection with insurgent
activities.
The military also said some other
detainees would be released in phases from
the different military areas to the
respective state governors for onward re-
absorption into the society.
In explaining the reason for the
authorisation, the presidency said it was
part of the interim recommendations of the
amnesty committee set up by President
Goodluck Jonathan.
The Senior Special Adviser on Public
Affairs to the President, Doyin Okupe,
said in a statement on Wednesday that the
release is part of the recommendation of
the Presidential Committee on dialogue and
peace in Northern Nigeria (amnesty
committee).
Many Nigerians including the opposition
Action Congress of Nigeria had questioned
the continued sustenance of the amnesty
committee despite the declaration of a
State of Emergency in three troubled
states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. The
emergency declaration, which was approved
by the National Assembly on Tuesday, has
led to an increased deployment of soldiers
to the areas with a view to crushing the
insurgents and criminals.
Mr. Okupe, however, explained that the
emergency declaration does not foreclose
the dialogue option to resolve the
insurgency.
“This directive by Mr. President further
proves that the Federal Government has not
foreclosed dialogue as a viable option in
its bid to put an end to insurgency and
terrorist activities in the Northern part
of the country,” Mr. Okupe said.
He said the release of the detainees is
expected to encourage some of the
insurgents to give up their arms.
“It is expected that this phased release
of detainees will encourage those who wish
to embrace the peace option to come out
and take advantage of the dialogue and
peace option provided by the Committee put
in place by government,” he said.
Phased release of women, children
Mr. Okupe explained that the president’s
directive is for the Boko Haram detainees
to be released in phases, the first batch
being women and children.
“The emphasis is on women and children who
have been in detention on suspicion of
involvement and/or connection with
insurgency in some parts of the country,”
Mr. Okupe said in what seems to be the
first confession that underage persons
have been detained by the military forces.
The Boko Haram had in their videos
released prior to the emergency rule
declaration accused the Nigerian military
of arresting and detaining their wives,
female relatives and others, a claim never
admitted to by the government until now.
Mr. Okupe added that the first phase of
release will “be followed by other phased
releases where cases will be treated on
their individual merits by the Defence
authorities and security agencies”.