Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, has said the issue of granting amnesty to members of Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, should not arise.
He said before the issue of amnesty could come up, the sect members must embrace dialogue since amnesty could not be given to faceless people.
Martins said this in an interview shortly after he dedicated the Marian Grotto at the Catholic Church of Annunciation, FESTAC, Lagos on Monday.
The grotto was donated to the church by a couple, Mr. Barth and Mrs. Jane Ebong.
The Archbishop said, "The discussion would have gone on very well before we can begin to talk about amnesty for Boko Haram. I am sure Nigerians do not want a state of punishment and revenge and the rest of it. All we want is peace.
"Therefore, if they come and have a discussion, then the issue of amnesty will be issue for everybody to accept.
"But as it is now, do you know whom we are supposed to be granting amnesty to. We do not know the state of the mind of the people. So, that makes it difficult to think about amnesty at this point in time until dialogue is embraced."
Martins, who urged the church to keep up the sense of unity among them, advised them to be vigilant.
He said the grotto was unique in many ways but urged the church members to make use of the grotto.
He said, "It is certainly unique in many ways. But what makes a grotto really functional is when people use it. People are able to get the powers of the intercession of Mary as a result of the uses of the grotto. It is unique because it is a rotating statute. It is unique that the environment is very nice.
"The significance is is the presence of Mary in the image of the statute there. Where the statute is present, you have a clear indication that our mother Mary is also spiritually present for the people there."
