Transitional Justice: Shehu of Borno Makes Case For victims, Survivors of Boko Haram Conflict
By: Zainab Yetunde Adam
The Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi has pledged support for a group’s demand for justice for survivors and victims of the ongoing Boko Haram conflict.
The foremost northern Nigerian monarch has also advocated justice for the relations and repentant Boko Haram members in the state.
The Shehu made this call or endorsement in a bid to end all forms of crisis in Borno when he hosted the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Women Faith-Based Organization and Jire Dole Network of victims at his palace.
The group of civil society organisations paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday, June 15.
Shehu said he supports transitional justice for all victims of the crisis because he believes “crisis has no progress benefit rather than destruction.”
Alamin Foundation has been advocating for transitional justice as a dispute resolution tool that could help prevent the recurrence of violent conflict and foster sustainable peace.
To that effect, the Shehu lauded the Allamin Foundation for extending its peace-building efforts to Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza and other nook and crannies of the state.
The Eminent monarch had also called on community leaders and their wards to embrace the spirit of oneness and forgiveness as well as enlighten and educate their subjects on ways to maintain peace.
Executive Director of Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Hamsatu Allamin, who led the delegation to the palace, explained that transitional justice if fully adopted, will promote peace, and reconciliation and bring about development for a sustainable future in Borno and beyond.
“The foundation partnered with the Foreign and Common Wealth Development Office of the British High Commission of Nigeria, for the community to understand the importance of transitional justice and inculcate their perspective in areas need be for an all-inclusive transitional justice in the region,” she said.
One of the members of a Women Faith-Based Organization, Sarah John, decried the ill-treatment of women stressing that such acts of violence against women in society needed to be tackled immediately.
“Our women suffer a lot of Gender-Based Violence in silence with a high rate of divorce,”
Barrister Muhammed Umoru advised citizens to stop stigmatizing survivors and repentant Boko Haram across all walks of life for development to thrive.
Alamin Foundation is a Borno state-based nongovernmental organisation that promotes peacebuilding and justice.
