(UPI) -- The outgoing head of a committee seeking an amnesty deal with Nigerian militant group Boko Haram said Tuesday that the group wants talks. The claim however remains in doubt in Nigeria where the extremist group has carried out a number of attacks on civilians and churches.
Chairman of the amnesty committee Kabiru Tanimu Turaki submitted his final report to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja and said that many of the group's members reacted positively to contact and that they were responding to dialogue.
Turaki proposed that another panel be set up to further examine the possibility of peace talks.
Boko Haram is led by Abubakar Shekaku who has rejected any talks with the Nigerian government. Nigeria is Africa's most oil-rich country but most Nigerians live in poverty.