The government should negotiate with the Boko Haram insurgents for the release of our members -Nigerian Mining and Geo-sciences Society (NMGS)

Geoscientists in the country have mounted pressure on the Federal government to resort to negotiation with the Boko Haram insurgents instead of using force over the release of the abducted university Dons. This was declared in Illorin by the NMGS President Prof Silas Dada. He advised the federal government that negotiation is the antidote to the issue.

It can be recalled that over 10 geoscientists, non-teaching staff from Unimaid and NNPC officials who went geophysical resesrch in the chad Basin were ambushed and abducted by the Boko Haram sects. Some of them lost their lives during the gun duel that ensued between the Insurgents and the security operatives assigned for the workers.

"The federal government should do everything to get our colleagues released. Of the 9 UNIMAID staff that were involved, 5 of them were lecturers in Geology department, 2 in soil science, non teaching staff and the driver. Two have been killed, two abducted and one is still missing. Dr. Militus Joseph, Dr Manager Uba, Idris Abubakar Njodi (driver), Dr. Daniel Birma and Mohammed Kamfo of the Soil Science Department all lost their lives during the gun battle while Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim and Dr. Solomon Yusuf who are lecturers in the Department of Geology were abducted along with the driver Idris Abubakar Jodi." Prof Silas Dada said.

He added that the government to do expedite actions and ensure that their abducted members are released. His words: “While we commend the pragmatic approach of the present administration in putting a stop to this national disgrace called Boko Haram, we want the military to urgently swing into action and adopt negotiation method which has shown to be more effective and life-saving than the use of force as witnessed in the release of substantial number of Chibok schoolgirls, to rescue our colleagues and all others in captivity of the Boko Haram.

“I also wish to state that the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has dragged on for too long and we therefore urge the Federal Government to redouble its efforts in the fight against the insurgency in the Northeast so that the Boko Haram problem is stamped out permanently sooner than later.”

Follow @freshgossipsng