H.E. Dr. Bolere Elizabeth Ketebu:

On the issue of the escalation of Boko Haram activities being linked to the fact that its leader was killed in police custody, this alludes to the view that Boko Haram is strictly a Nigerian affair. The incursions into Niger, Chad and Cameroon were not precipitated by the death of any of its leaders. Boko Haram cannot be at war with four countries at a time on the basis of an allegation that its leader was killed in Nigeria. What has happened is that these are the kind of people who are anti-democracy and all its ramifications. They are opposed to western education. They were operating in a forest where initially they were basing all their attacks in Nigeria and the neighbouring countries thought it was strictly a Nigerian affair. Now that it is spreading because Boko Haram has made incursions and secret entrances into other countries, it has dawned on everyone else that it must be a regional and collective war. Until that is done, we may not succeed in eliminating Boko Haram. I am happy that the multi-national regional task forces are becoming more active and serious in the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram. That is why we are attaining the successes of recent weeks.

On the funding of Boko Haram, I set out in the early part of my presentation that they attack banks, markets, business places, hijack petroleum products, and kidnap important persons and workers for ransom. That is how they raise their funds. In the last attack at the Multinational Joint Task Force base, by the time they took the headquarters, they made away with a huge cache of weapons. That does not mean it is the only source. They have access to limitless funds nobody can account for. The ones we can identify are the ones I have mentioned. States have to operate within the confines of international standards and law for which Boko Haram has no regard. That is why it can afford to use child soldiers and young girls as suicide bombers. Before the use of these young girls as suicide bombers, Muslims in Nigeria have the right to veil their women. Once they have veiled up, it would be unreligious or sacreligious according to their religion to have to undress them. Even today, Nigeria has yet to pass a law prohibiting the use of hijabs out of respect for the Islamic religion, but those are the kinds of openings they try to cash in on to use young girls and women in their veils strapped with explosive devices as suicide bombers. States cannot do that kind of thing because they have recourse to international standards.

On the issue of military training, I said in my presentation that Nigeria receives capacity-building support from our international partners. Various countries are now involved in training the military in Nigeria. I am sure military officials will be able to mention the nations involved. At the outset, some of the meetings were held in New York and London. There have been meetings with the Israeli Government and other international partners supporting Nigeria with training and military support.

On the issue of the feeling that Boko Haram members and extremists feel victimised and are escalating their activities to fight government, I am reluctant to believe that is why the group visits schools where innocent children are at midnight or the wee hours of the morning to slaughter them like animals. Those who go to a market place and explode bombs to kill Christians and Muslims, not caring who is there, are not fighting the Government. They attack and break into bank strong rooms and loot the moneys that are there and that is not out of anger against the Government. Boko Haram must be taken as it is and acknowledged for what it is.

Boko Haram comprises a group of people who have no respect for human life or dignity. They do not respect any religion because they are slaughtering Muslims, Christians and atheists. They have no respect for human rights because they slaughter children, men and women and they rape women and young girls. There is nothing they will not do. There is no excuse for the activities of Boko Haram. Today it is Nigeria, tomorrow it will be Niger. Next will be Chad and by the time they finish with west Africa, they may spread further if they are not checked. Boko Haram is the other arm of ISIS and the earlier the world sees it as it is, the better for all of us. A life in Nigeria is like a life in France or Ireland. A group that appears to exterminate communities of people for no reason should be the enemy of every human being.

The issue was raised of assurances that elections will be free and fair. The President of Nigeria has continued to say so. The independent national electoral commission has given assurances and the leaders of the parties, presidential and vice presidential candidates and others have signed the Abuja accord. The electoral commission has said it is making arrangements to make provision for those who are displaced to vote. In some of the submissions, we have been informed that temporary ballot places and booths are being provided for them. It is being ensured that displaced persons are now being grouped according to their electoral constituencies wherever they are found.

On the care of displaced persons, Nigeria now works in collaboration with the other countries where Nigerian refugees are. They are mainly in Niger and Chad. Nigeria has been taking materials to governments in charge of the communities where refugees are.

The materials are not handed directly to the displaced persons because the various countries they have gone to have arranged for their people to take care of them where they are. They have well-defined camps with designated officers in charge. Nigerian officials take the materials to the officers and the governments where these Nigerians have been displaced to. It is a co-ordinated effort between the Government of Nigeria and those who are outside. For those within Nigerian borders it is the new local governments in the areas in which they have found themselves that co-ordinate the care for the displaced persons.

On good governance, even in the lateral campaigns, the two leading presidential candidates, the current President and the former military Head of State, are giving assurances of good governance and have signed the Abuja Accord to contain their supporters and followers, accept the outcome of the election results and ensure there will be no pre- or post-electoral violence. In as much as a few incidents have taken place, they have been known to come out to call their supporters to order.

The International Criminal Court has called on the Nigerian Government to ensure that none of the perpetrators of these criminal acts will go scot free. This call comes from the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and Nigeria has given an assurance that the perpetrators will be brought to book. I trust that will happen. To judge from what is happening internationally these are not crimes that anybody could run away from. The important point is that unless and until the key actors are arrested the whole group cannot be prosecuted. As they are arrested or the presentations are made and they are found to be the ones liable, the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary will take their course from that point.

In respect of diaspora voting, as of now members of the Nigerian diaspora do not have the opportunity to vote unless they return to Nigeria. A hearing of the Bill on this is taking place at the National Assembly. I have no doubt that the new session of the National Assembly, once it is convocated, will be able to conclude this Bill.

On the issue of HIV and based on the fact that gay couples have been forced to operate underground, the important point is that Nigeria has an anti-HIV health policy in place. In some states in Nigeria the treatment is free. The gay community is not such a large population that it would overwhelm the indices, the data or percentage of the population that is HIV+ but as long as that is the law in Nigeria one would expect that. Some gay couples have found their way out of Nigeria, some are still there. Those issues will be left until the law changes and because society is dynamic, laws are made and change. One does not know whether the new National Assembly will address the issue but I would expect that once there are calls in public arenas to address such situations interested parties will make their interests known.