‘Release of B’Haram women, others ’ll be in phases’

Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe

Presidency on Wednesday said the release of Boko Haram suspects would be in phases.

The first set of beneficiaries, it said, would comprise mainly women and children.

Consideration for other detainees, it said, would come later.

Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who stated this in a statement, added that the considerations would be on merit.

The statement read, “It has become necessary to make further clarification on the directive for the release of some people held in connection with activities of the Boko Haram sect, in view of misrepresentations in some sections of the media.

“The order for the release of the detainees will be in phases.

“Concerning the first batch, the emphasis is on women and children who have been in detention on suspicion of involvement and/or connection with insurgency in some parts of the country.

“This will be followed by other phased releases where cases will be treated on their individual merits by the Defence authorities and security agencies.”

Okupe said the presidential directive was as a result of the interim report by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peace in Northern Nigeria which recommended the measure as part of government’s multi-faceted strategy to solving the security challenges posed by the activities of the sect.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday directed the release of some Boko Haram suspects in custody.

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