ECOWAS Parliamentarian Cautions Against Prison Swap With Boko Haram

A member of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mrs Eucharia Azodo, on Thursday in Abuja cautioned against swapping the kidnapped Chibok school girls with detained Boko Haram members.

Azodo, who represents Nigeria in the parliament, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that such an action would embolden the group and expose the country to more risks from the insurgents.

“This decision is very difficult. But, I still maintain that negotiation with them will not solve any problem.

“Instead of solving the problem, it will multiply it in tenfold or even hundredfold.

“We’ve seen what happened the other time. Some of them were released about 2011 and 2012.

“Instead of going to their houses or reconciling with the government or doing necessary things they went ahead training more people, forcing people to enter their camp to go and do the damage.

“So integrating them into the society again will cause more harm than good.”

Azodo said with the expertise and technology coming from other countries she was hopeful that the girls would be traced and rescued.

Azodo, however, however called for a long term solution to social crises such as the Boko Haram insurgency.

 

 

 

 

 

“I strongly believe that if the government can provide jobs for the youth all the issues of insecurity will be reduced drastically,” she said.