President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday challenged members of the Boko Haram sect to identify themselves and state clearly their demands as a basis for talks.

While acknowledging that military confrontation alone will not end their insurgency, Jonathan also said it was obvious that Boko Haram had links with other jihadist groups outside Nigeria.

In an interview with Reuters at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the president said, "If they clearly identify themselves now and say this is the reason why we are resisting, this is the reason why we are confronting government or this is the reason why we destroy some innocent people and their properties ... then there will be a basis for dialogue.

"We will dialogue, let us know your problems and we will solve your problem but if they don't identify themselves, who will you dialogue with?"

The president warned that the Boko Haram crisis would be much harder to resolve than the Niger Delta conflict, which was largely defused in 2009 under an amnesty he helped to broker. The reason, he said, is that Islamist militants do not have a clear public figurehead or negotiable aims.

"If anybody had invited Osama bin Laden (to talks), he wouldn't have appeared ... Boko Haram, if you invite them, they will not come. They operate without a face... they operate without a clear identity, so it is difficult to interface with such a group.

"That is the greatest difference between Boko Haram ... and the Niger Delta issue," he said.

Human Rights Watch had, during the week, declared that the sect had killed more than 500 people last year and more than 250 in the first weeks of 2012 in gun and bomb attacks.

Last Friday, coordinated attacks by Boko Haram in Kano killed 186 people in its most deadly strike to date, prompting the president to visit surviving victims.

Fear Grips Service Chiefs

Meanwhile, as the president extended the olive branch to the Boko Haram group yesterday, after the Wednesday removal of inspector-general of police Hafiz Ringim, there are widespread fears that the other service chiefs may also get the Ringim treatment.

Only last week, LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported imminent changes in the president's cabinet and a shake-up among the service chiefs, following the security challenges arising from the Boko Haram onslaught on the nation, especially the northern parts of the country.

A source puts the situation in proper perspective to LEADERSHIP. "Only a few days ago, President Jonathan ordered all the service chiefs to meet on the insecurity of lives and property in the country and asked them to sit up or get sacked and this led them to hold a meeting at the IG's office but what happened after? The Boko Haram declared war on Kano and they could not stop them and do you think Mr. President is happy? These people have demonstrated their incompetence and ineffectiveness to the whole world and this is why we all believe other service chiefs would follow. It is only a matter of time."

President Jonathan's replacement of Ringim with assistant inspector general of police (AIG) Mohammed Dikko Abubakar and the sacking of all the serving deputy inspectors-general of police (DIGs) has been described as a step in the right direction. It was however gathered that the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is making moves to ensure Abubakar is not confirmed as the substantive IGP because of his indictment by the Justice Nikki Tobi panel on the Jos crises.

The president was said to have concluded on the need for a total overhaul of the country's security system, following the escape from police custody of Kabir Sokoto, the suspected mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of a church at Madalla, Niger State, which led to the death of more than 45 people.

NSCIA Declares War On Boko Haram

But, in the face of the devastating blasts which had been rocking the northern part of the country, leaving in its trail untold destruction and killings, the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called for the immediate extermination of the group in the country.

In a resolution signed by the NSCIA secretary-general, Dr. Abdulateef Adegbite, who is also the Baba Adinni of Egbaland, and made available to journalists, the Council said the group and its activities are anti-human, and added that those behind the various heinous acts must not be allowed to live any longer.

NSCIA, which noted that the bomb blasts that occurred in parts of the North in recent times, stated that it was alarmed at the magnitude of the loss to the nation, adding that their destructive activities had also dented the image of the country internationally, thereby affecting the inflow of foreign investment into the country.

According to the Council, "It is now crystal clear that these hard-faced rebels have declared war on all Nigerians...

"Is it not now evident that, with the sad massacre in Kano, and killings elsewhere in the north, an overwhelming number of Muslims have been wasted by Boko Haram? The same group had also attacked a foreign establishment with the bombing of the UN Building in Abuja."

It affirmed that the president-general of NSCIA, Sultan Saad Abubakar had before now observed that Boko Haram's actions are inhuman and unacceptable to the Muslims.

The Council urged the Federal Government to frontally tackle the Boko Haram rebels and reassure Nigerians of its resolve and capacity to deal effectively with the critical situation.

Immigration Swoops on Niger, Chad Illegal Immigrants

Following the upsurge of violent crimes associated with nationals of Niger and Chad Republic in the country, the men of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday swooped on some of the nationals in a bid to properly screen them.

LEADERSHIP had earlier reported the arrest of two Niger Republic nationals who set ablaze a Christian missionary building in Minna on Monday, barely 48 hours after the state governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, raised the alarm over the involvement of Niger Republic nationals in the various crimes being perpetrated in the state.

He noted that because they do not have a stake in the country and because they could speak Hausa, several of them gain unfettered entrance into the state.

Investigations revealed that men of the NIS stormed some of the strategic places where the nationals lived and carried out some menial jobs. The arrest of some of the suspected foreigners revealed that most of those hawking water in jerry cans, in Minna especially, were from Niger Republic.

It was also gathered that no fewer than 300 of them were in the state without proper documentation and immigration papers.

Furthermore, a majority of those engaged as security guards, especially at uncompleted buildings or buildings undergoing construction, were either from Niger Republic or Chad.

The NIS decision to check the papers of the aliens was reportedly taken only two days ago after an emergency meeting of the Nigeria Immigration top officials.

Again, UK Decries Killings, Assures Of Support

Also worried by the level of insecurity in the country, the British High Commission in Nigeria stated that the Boko Haram sect posed a grave danger to British interest and the global family.

The deputy high commissioner of the British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr. Giles Lever, who stated this in Kaduna said the unrelenting massacre of people in some parts of northern Nigeria by the Boko Haram sect is "barbaric, savage and unacceptable".

Fielding questions from journalists in Kaduna during a workshop on: "Using the Freedom of Information Act, 2011," organised by the Media Rights Agenda and the British High Commission, Giles added, "Terrorist attack anywhere and on anybody is a setback to stability, democracy and progress. It is the same in Nigeria.

"The killing of people by Boko Haram in Nigeria in the name of a political or religious ideology is barbaric, savage and unacceptable to the British Government. We condemn this violence because we believe it is not the right Islam.

"This is bad and dangerous to the stability and development of democracy in Nigeria, with a huge implication to sub-Sahara Africa looking at the role of Nigeria as a leader in Africa.

"We are going to support Nigerian government in many ways to combat terrorism, because Britain has been a victim of terrorism. In 2005, 50 people were killed in Britain when an underground rail-subway was attacked by terrorists. But we were able to combat that menace in many ways, which we would be ready to share with the Nigerian government."

Bomb Scare Causes Stampede In Kano

Meanwhile, a bomb scare in the Sabon-Gari Area of Kano, yesterday, sent many people running helter-skelter for their safety, as they thought it was yet another bomb explosion.

The state witnessed a series of bomb blasts last week and yesterday's explosion arising from some chemicals, according to eyewitnesses, caused a stir and confusion in the area.

Passers-by had to scamper for safety and there was serious stampede as a result of the heavy sound that was heard.

Shortly after the incident, security operatives cordoned off the area to halt the reign of confusion.

There was another incident at Fagge Area, near the local government divisional office of the police. A wheel-barrow pusher was said to have left his wares around the area to look for change to settle his customer, but before he returned a stampede had ensued.

"Both the police and the general public had to take cover and run away from the area to avoid a possible blast that may emanate from the contents of the wheel barrow," another eyewitness told our correspondent.