By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

Residents of Maiduguri and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) in various camps in Borno State  yesterday, warned the Federal Government against granting amnesty to repentant Boko Haram insurgents, saying it will pose a dangerous threat to displaced persons who are returning to their homes.

They gave the warning at a workshop on the Sensitisation of Religious and Traditional Leaders, De-radicalisation and Counter-Terrorism and Migration in NorthEast at Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Secretariat complex, Maiduguri.

Participants at the workshop argued that it would be very dangerous for members of the communities and repentant insurgents to live together after the series of attacks and killing of many people for over six years.

According to them, “this may lead to another war, which may even be worse than the current Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed many lives and property in Borno state and the North-East sub-region of the country.” They therefore suggested that the Federal Government and the state governments should provide a special place for the  de-radicalised insu-rgents.

Speaking on the theme of the workshop, the programme officer of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Ikponmwosa Omoigiade said that, “The Federal Government selected 10 communities from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states for the Boko Haram de-redicalisation programme.”