The Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, has distributed a letter requesting dialogue with the Federal Government.
The letter, which was sent through head of journalists in Borno State, Aba Kakami, came less than 72 hours after a double suicide bombing led to the death of at least 17 people at the Protestant Military Church, Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, Kaduna State.
Kakami has often received and distributed statements from the sect.
According to an international news agency, Reuters, the letter was signed by Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man known in security sources to be a moderate senior member of the sect.
The letter, if genuine, would mark a change of departure of tactics by the group which has been been responsible for many bombings in the country.Abdulazeez first contacted journalists in Maiduguri earlier this month, setting conditions for peace talks in the teleconference and nominating former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari , as a mediator. Buhari has since declined the offer.
“We are by this letter of invitation to our respected elders proving to government that we are not joking with the government, but we are awaiting the response of those concerned,” Abdulazeez said in the letter.
Abdulazeez said he was speaking on behalf of Abubakar Shekau, the sect’s leader.
But even if Abdulazeez does represent Shekau, the extent to which Boko Haram is controlled by Shekau is in doubt, and analysts think military pressure has fragmented it.
The letter nominated Imam Gabchiya, an official of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State as mediator.
There was no immediate reaction from Federal Government officials, but President Goodluck Jonathan had said on November 18 that no talks were going on with Boko Haram .
The handover of the letter came three days after the army offered a N290m bounty for information leading to the capture of 19 leading members of the sect.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Olasa’ad Ibrahim, has said that due process will be followed in meting out punishment to soldiers on duty when suicide bombers attacked the military church in Jaji on Sunday
Ibrahim, who was in Kaduna on Tuesday, noted that the board set up to investigate the twin attacks would spell out the appropriate punishment.
He described the incident as sad and pointed out that the military would put some mechanism in place to forestall future occurrence.
