Nigerian Information minister Labaran Maku said that the Nigerian government had always indicated its readiness to engage in a dialogue the leaders of the Islamic militant group, the Boko Haram. Maku was reacting to media reports on Tuesday that spokesman for Boko Haram, Habu Mohammed, said the group was engaged in direct talks with the government to end violence in northern Nigeria.
Labaran Maku said on Wednesday in Abuja that the “position of government from the beginning has been that we are prepared to negotiate and dialogue with members of this group because we believe they are Nigerians and they are our children.”
He noted that violence has disrupted social and economic activities in some parts of Northern Nigeria.
According to Maku, dialogue is a sure way of bringing the situation to an end as quickly as possible “because violence can’t solve any problem”.
“So we welcome the decision to dialogue,” he added.
The activities of the Boko Haram Islamist sect has claimed more than 3000 lives and destroyed properties worth millions of US dollars.
