by Isi Esene

There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan nay have agreed to grant amnesty to Boko Haram militants after a meeting with Northern Elders Forum (NEF) which took place yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Reports say the meeting with the NEF which ended around 11:30pm, was a follow-up to the one organised last May and the president assured the delegation that the outcome will be tabled before security chiefs in Abuja today.

Former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who was part of the NEF delegation, told reporters that the meeting was productive and the president was not opposed to the idea of granting amnesty to the Boko Haram militants.

Reports say the president is expected to set up an amnesty commission to fine- tune details of clemency to the sect members.

According to Abdullahi, “The meeting is simply a follow-up visit on the invitation of Mr. President. Many of you will recall that about eight or nine months ago, we interacted with the president on matters of the nation.

“We submitted a memorandum to him and he promised that he was going to look at our submission and he will call us back to further dialogue on the issues we have raised in our submission. Ans this is precisely what transpired today.

“The contention here that there are challenges in the country, especially in the area of security which is the greatest challenge.

“What we discussed is that general opinion in the country is that amnesty should be factored into all effort made by government to overcome the security challenges all over the country or in most parts of the North.

“Fortunately the president is already thinking hard on it. And he assured us that there is a special meeting on the matter and that I’m sure that  tomorrow something substantial will come out of that meeting.”

Information minister, Labaran Maku, echoed Abdullahi’s statement saying the president has never said no to the issue of amnesty. He said the president had all along made it clear that, as in the case of Niger Delta amnesty, structures and processes have to be in place before the option is fully explored.

Present at the meeting were leader of the group, Yusuf Maitama Sule, Paulen Tallen, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Kali Gazali, Safiya Mohammed, Solomon Dualong, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu,  Shehu Malami, John Wash Pam, Lawal  Kaita, Bello Kirfi, Paul Unongo, AVM Al-amin Daggash, Sani Zango Daura, N.A. Sheriff, Yahaya Kwande, Saleh Hassan, Muslim Maigari, Bashir Yusuf, Gen.

Others are, Paul Tarfa, Justice Mustapha  Akanbi, Prof Idris Mohammed, Capt Paul Tahal and Capt Bashir Sodangi.