TheCable

Kaduna Youth Coalition for Peace and Development, a youth group, has backed the Kaduna government for declaring the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) an insurgent group.

Speaking with journalists on Friday, Peter Bawa, president of the group, blamed the Borno elders for the emergence of Boko Haram.

“If that was not bad enough, when assassination bid on senior state officials in the wake of repeated threats became the order of the day the entire state was jolted to reality,” Bawa said.

“But unlike Borno Elders, the people of the state, including the brother of IMN Leader, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, came forward to testify before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the group’s clash with the Nigerian army.

“The White Paper that is the end product of that Commission labelled IMN as an insurgent group and backed the decision of the state government to outlaw the fanatical outfit.”

He alleged the Borno elders only realised thier error when they became target of “thier sins.”

“At the inception of Boko Haram as a ragtag group of misguided youths that were flogging women for not dressing the way they expected, these same Borno Elders kept quiet. When the fanatical youths began targeted assassinations the elders only paid condolence visits at which they gloat over the demise of their perceived political rivals,” he said.

“Even when the terrorism of their protégés spilled all over the country they continue to implore that their sons should be spared and not be treated as terrorists that they are.

“It was only when the Borno elders became the target of their own sins did they started fleeing into Abuja and Kano, leaving the less fortunate part of the population in IDPs camps did these remorseless men realise the magnitude of their error.

“These elderly opportunists have therefore thought the best thing is to prop up an emerging terror group in a new geographical area for the purpose of repeating the circle of extortion they deployed Boko Haram for in the north east.

“We like to ask the Borno Elders to go back and do their home work, conduct research and learn that Kaduna and Borno States have clear differences when it comes to issues of dealing with insurgents or groups that have consistently demonstrated anti-society tendencies.”