Boko Haram denies holding dialogue with FG through Sheikh Bauchi

MEMBERS of the Jama'atul Ahlu Sunnah Lidda'awa Wal Jihad, popularly referred to as Boko Haram, have denied holding any dialogue with the Federal Government through respected Bauchi-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.The cleric, had on Tuesday, told journalists in Bauchi that he had initiated a dialogue between the group and the Federal Government, which mandated the Bauchi State government to set up a committee to meet with the group.Sheikh Bauchi had shown a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State Government House, Abdu Aliyu Ilelah, on behalf of the committe set up by the government, entitled: "Federal Government Commiittee on Negotiations with Jama'atul Ahlu Sunnah Lidda'awa Wal Jihad," to butress his claim.However, in an email sent to journalists on Wednesday evening, the group stated that it was not in any form of dialogue with the government, as it had earlier vowed not to return to the negotiation table with the Nigerian government after it allegedly betrayed it in an earlier botched peace talk. The group, therefore, warned the aged Sheikh Bauchi to desist from taking credit for brokering peace between it and the Federal Government of Nigeria.According to the email signed by the group's spokesman,Abul Qaqa, "we have seen it published in the media that Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi said he is talking to us on dialogue, but we want the world to know that this has never happened and we call on Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi to desist from such statement.'We still want to reiterate that since the dialogue process being midwifed by Dr Datti was botched, we have closed all doors to dialogue.
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