ABUJA: Nigeria took a further step towards granting amnesty to Boko Haram militants yesterday, with the president setting up a panel to study how the offer should be made.

Earlier this month, President Goodluck Jonathan instructed his security advisors to look at whether an amnesty could help curb the Boko Haram insurgency which has left thousands dead since 2009.

Jonathan received the report from his security advisors late Tuesday, a statement said.

His office then announced the creation of a fresh panel tasked with “developing a framework for the granting of amnesty.”

The new 25-person body, composed mostly of people from Nigeria’s mainly north where Boko Haram is based, has also been instructed to set up a “framework through which disarmament could take place within a 60-day time frame.”

It remains unclear how successful such a deal would be for fighters. A similar amnesty program in 2009 largely quelled fighting in the country’s oil-rich southern delta, though militants there eagerly wanted cash payouts. The leader of Boko Haram repeatedly has rejected the idea of an amnesty deal with the government in recent messages.

A statement from Nigeria’s presidency identified a 26-person panel that would explore a possible deal with guerrilla fighters, including the Islamic extremist network Boko Haram and others. The presidency said it hoped to have a plan for an amnesty deal within 60 days.

In an audio recording sent to AFP last week, Boko Haram’s purported leader Abubakar Shekau, designated a global terrorist by the United States, rejected the idea. But the group is believed to be made up of many different factions.

Analysts say some members are likely hardcore militants who would resist any concession to Nigeria’s secular government.

Other members are thought to be dejected northern youths who have been radicalized out of frustration with massive government corruption and extreme poverty.

Jonathan has come under intense pressure over the issue, with politicians from the violence-torn north as well as Nigeria’s highest Muslim reverent figure, the sultan of Sokoto, calling for amnesty.

The Boko Haram insurgency is estimated to have left more than 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killing by the security services.