Boko Haram: NSA begs Emirs

National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki yesterday begged Emirs and influential leaders in the North to assist the government in reaching out to Boko Haram contacts for dialogue.He visited the Emir of Daura, Katsina State, home town of former presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the last general election, Gen Muhammadu Buhari.

The NSA, it was gathered, held talks with stakeholders in Katsina on Wednesday before going to Kano yesterday.

The NSA met with Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema; the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman and the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Faruk Umar Faruk.

A source at the sessions said: “The NSA was in Daura to underscore his commitment to building bridges to restore peace to the North.

“He is just after rapprochement; he wants to carry everybody along at all cost. After finishing late in Katsina Wednesday, the NSA proceeded yesterday morning to Kano where he met with a cross section of stakeholders, including Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, members of his executive council, lawmakers, including Honourables Mannir Babba Danagundi, Nasiru Baballe, Aminu Suleiman, Nasiru Ali Ahmed, Mohammed Bashir Galadanchi and Bashir Baballe.

“Others the NSA met include commandants of Army, Prison, Immigration, Civil Defence as well as police commissioner in the state and major traditional rulers.

“The NSA restated the Federal Government’s preparedness to work with the state governments and other stakeholders to surmount the problem of insecurity in some parts of the country.

“He emphasised the need for leaders at the meetings to prevail on their wards to abstain from acts that could put the nation’s peace and security at risk.

“He specifically urged them to reach out to all known contacts of the Boko Haram Islamist sect and make them embrace the latest dialogue initiative.

“Let us all come together to ensure dialogue between the sect and the government. We need dialogue to restore peace to trouble spots,” he was quoted as saying.

Dasuki held a similar meeting with stakeholders in Kaduna .

Dasuki cautioned journalists against sensational reporting, stating that ‘’my experience with the press so far has not been a very good one’’.

“I would like to caution you to please be very careful with what you report because all the places we visited now; the media has been our problem. Everybody wants to put a story that’s not necessary because it makes a very good headline. So, please be very cautious about that and be very mindful of your responsibility.”

He said: “Everybody is trying to translate what I said and somehow in the process of translation, the meaning is lost and some of the things I say is not reflected and those that I didn’t say are somehow presented as having been said. It’s all sensational journalism.”

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