486 Northerners held in Abia not Boko Haram –Gen Dan Ali

Speaking to Daily Trust, Dan Ali said though it is likely that a Boko Haram member might have been caught among them, but the entire traders are not terrorists.“I don’t agree that they are Boko Haram even though they might have arrested a Boko Haram kingpin among them,” he said.He said “the security people said […]

Speaking to Daily Trust, Dan Ali said though it is likely that a Boko Haram member might have been caught among them, but the entire traders are not terrorists.
“I don’t agree that they are Boko Haram even though they might have arrested a Boko Haram kingpin among them,” he said.
He said “the security people said they came in convoys. But how would they have come in convoys from Katsina or Jigawa and passed through all the military and police checkpoints up to Abia before they were intercepted? This is not possible.”
The retired general said it a pity that Northerners are being blackmailed and discriminated against to an “extent that in some parts of the country they have to be issued with identity cards.”
“This is unacceptable. Can you imagine Northern states issuing all Southerners with identity cards? How that would portend to the unity of this country?” he said.
He said Northern delegates to the conference are discussing the matter and they would announce their position on the incident today.