Advocacy Nigeria, an NGO, on Friday gave its backing to the Federal Government’s decision to use both military approach and dialogue to end insurgency in the North East.

Its Executive Director, Hajia Bilikisu Yusuf, gave the backing in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

“Solution to insurgency is to do what the government has already started in earnest and sincerely - that is, the military option.

“Open a path to dialogue, promote the soft approach, which it is already doing to combat violence and extremism: engage those, who need a widow of exit away from the insurgency.

“Provide a safe landing spot for them; talk to them; ensure that you do a sincere and an in-depth de-radicalisation programme.

“Change the narrative. There should be counter-narrative because what is happening there is not our own narrative.”

Yusuf, who observed that the abducted Chibok girls had spent more than 500 days in the custody of Boko Haram, urged security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue them alive.

She said that the abducted girls had become victims of rape, forced marriage, and forced labour.

She called on philanthropists to donate generously toward making the future of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East better.

“My message to philanthropists is that we have to donate to be our brothers’ keeper. We cannot ignore what is happening in the North East because we live in a common world.

“We must all come together to donate and work for the transformation of the common world in which we live.” (NAN)

•Photo shows President Buhari

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