The Prelate Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu-Uche, has backed amnesty for Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and others as part of measures to ensure peace in the country.

He told newsmen in Abuja that peace is not the absence of problem but peace is a successful way of managing problem so that it does not result into crisis.

He also said that Nigeria got it wrong when people began to be fanatical about religion, even when religion is not meant to destroy but to build.

“I am happy to hear from Muslim scholar that Qur’an does not say ‘kill’. It is only self-defence, when you are pressed to the wall, you defend yourself and is also the same thing (with us Christians), we call it Nehemiah method, when pressed to the wall, you react and not taking the law into your own hand and go and kill innocent people,” Kanu-Uche said.

Speaking on dialogue with Boko Haram and bandits, the Methodists leader said the insurgents have leaders and that rather than criticising Gumi (Sheik Abubakar Gumi), he should be positively engaged by government so he can be part of the solution.

“You don’t dismiss him and say he is a bad person. If he (Gumi) goes into the bush and they have confidence in him, government can dialogue with them. These boys are being used by disgruntled politicians, if you engaged them and be paying them N25,000 monthly, they would not kidnap. All they want is food,” he said.

On calls for amnesty for repentant Boko Haram and bandits, he said, “I support amnesty for them. If you declare amnesty as was done in the Niger Delta region, which quell the tension and we are getting the oil money.

“Let government offers amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) and others and say let us dialogue. I have volunteer to dialogue with Christians from the south east, let them involve me.

“Let them involve people like Chief (Emmanuel) Iwuanyanwu, not that we are part of it, but we know how to talk to our people, let them involve notable Bishops, not tagging them terrorist. If you tag them terrorists, enmity has been created so call them ‘our children’, that let us dialogue and I want to tell you that it would work the magic.”

(Courtesy Daily Trust: Amended headline)

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