Military Widows Association Officials Disagree On Amnesty For Repentant Terrorists

By Chuks Ekpeneru

The President, Military Widows Association, Mrs. Vera Aloko, has disagreed with the Vice-President, Mrs. Edith Opesanmi over the Federal Government’s decision to release more repentant Boko Haram members.

The President told The PUNCH that she was satisfied with the Operation Safe Corridor programme.

Aloko said military widows would support anything that would restore peace.

She said, “It is true that our Vice-President, Mrs. Idith Opesanmi, faulted the Federal Government’s decision to release more repentant Boko Haram members. However, she spoke in her personal capacity and not for all military widows. We support the government and any policy that can restore peace.”

Recently at a seminar “Support Our Troops Foundation” in Abuja, Mrs Opesanmi expressed their sadness over freedom being granted repented Boko Haram terrorists.

She attributed the death of their loved ones to the atrocities of so-called repentant criminals.

Emphasizing that the terrorists were not better than other criminals like armed robbers and kidnappers who are being made to pay for their crimes, Opesanmi who is the widow of the late Col. Johnson Opesanmi, said terrorists should not be given preferential treatment.

Her words, “They (terrorists) should face justice. You know they are involved in the killing and maiming of soldiers. So, whenever they are arrested, they should be punished like any other criminal.

“We widows feel bad about it. Our husbands go to fight these terrorists and keep dying. The number of widows is increasing daily. Some of these widows are young ladies.

About 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspects have been released by the military and rehabilitated into society according to the Borno State Commissioner for Information, Babakura Jato.

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