Young terrorists are victims too,’ Osinbajo says

Osinbajo made the comment on Tuesday, October 27, 2015, while delivering a speech during the opening of the Northeast Humanitarian Multi Stakeholders Engagement meeting in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo  Premium Times

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has said that young persons used by Boko Haram for attacks are also victims of terrorism.

Osinbajo made the comment on Tuesday, October 27, 2015, while delivering a speech during the opening of the Northeast Humanitarian Multi Stakeholders Engagement meeting in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The Vice President said further that the young terrorists deserve sympathy because they were most like forced to carry out the evil acts.

“The first thing

to understand is that there are lot of these young people who have been drawn into terrorist activities who are themselves victims. Clearly, any one of their age who will kill and maim innocent people have obviously imbibed something that is destructive,” Osinbajo said.

“And our position as a government is that there is a need to de-radicalize many of these young people who are involved in terrorists activities; there is a need to present counter narratives to many of them who have bought into Boko Haram believes and ideas,” he added.

Boko Haram has in recent times taken to using young girls as suicide bombers leading to fears that the sect is forcing captives to carry out the attacks.