The man at the centre of the aborted negotiations with Boko Haram yesterday said the process was sabotaged by President Jonathan's principal private secretary Hassan Tukur.
Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad began mediated contacts between the Federal Government and the sect in March, trying to work out a ceasefire, but backed out after details of the process were published in the media. He said at the time that government exhibited insincerity in the talks by leaking information.
In an interview with the VOA Hausa radio monitored yesterday, Ahmad said he independently initiated the dialogue by writing to Boko Haram and then meeting with Jonathan who then delegated Tukur to oversee the process.
But Tukur, a former intelligence officer from Adamawa State, divulged the discussions to the media, consequent upon which the sect asked Ahmad to pull out because of what they called bad faith on government's part.
Ahmad heads the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, a group that had the late Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf as one of its leaders.
"We started an independent effort and wrote to them (Boko Haram) and they replied to us that they agreed, and we should go ahead. We then contacted Jonathan and sat with him alone. Myself, our secretary general Malam Nafiu (Baba Ahmed) and Jonathan, and the man who facilitated our meeting with (the president). He (Jonathan) linked us up with Hassan Tukur...he is his trusted man.
"Hassan Tukur was the one who sabotaged the process by divulging all that we discussed to the press. The Boko Haram people said we should withdraw because they said there was lack of sincerity on the part of the government.
"They said they in a previous similar peace attempt, they sent one of their members but that member was arrested. That was the end of the discussion," he said.
There was no immediate response by Tukur or the Presidency yesterday to the statements by Ahmad. Daily Trust called Tukur's cell phone number to seek for his reaction, but he did not answer the call. He also did not reply to a text message sent to him.
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It is indeed mind boggling that the authorities allow Alhaji Ibrahim Datti Ahmed to walk about a free man in this country.By his own admission,he wrote and got a reply from the Boko Haram terrorists.In other words he knows not only their address but also who is who among the Hausa/Fulani terrorists. Come to think about it,these Hausa/Fulani terrorists are out there bombing and killing innocent Christains on daily basis.They burn Christian property and places of worship all in their attempt to impose sharia in this nation.Alhaji Ibrahim Datti Ahmed is the President of Supreme Council for Sharia and the Media Chief of the sect is Alhaji Is'haq Moddibo. The Council for Sharia has its President,Media Chief and the Boko Haram terrorists are therefore its foot soldiers. One might then ask what is it that Alhaji Ibrahim Datti Ahmed was going to negotiate between the Government and the Hausa/Fulani terrorists? Our Commonwealth is a secular Republic.That Alhaji Ibrahim Datti Ahmed assumes the title of President of Supreme Council for Sharia carries treasonable felony charge because that is a violation of section 10 of our Constitution.Furthermore,that Alhaji Ibrahim Datti Ahmed and his Boko Haram foot soldiers have declared war on our Secular Republic carries yet another treason charges.Their systematic targeting and murdering of innocent Christians in cold blood,burning their property and places of worship is a crime against humanity to be answered before the Internnational Criminal Court at the Hague in the Netherland. If the the Federal Government doesnt issue arrest warrants against Alhaji Ibrahim Datti and Boko Haram Media Chief,Alhaji Is'haq Moddibo,there are lots of Nigerians at home and in diaspora who are ready to take up the matter soon.