The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says 1, 935 repentant Boko Haram terrorists have been released back into communities.
Musa, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while delivering a lecture on “Non-Kinetic Operations and the Nigerian Armed Forces”.
The CDS spoke at the opening session of a national security course on “Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS)”organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The programme was held with the theme, “Winning Hearts and Minds for National Cohesion and Development”.
According to him, the 1, 935 repentant Boko Haram terrorists were released from the Bulumkutu camp in Borno State back into the Nigerian society between 2016 and 2022 after undergoing deradicalisation.
The CDS, was represented by Rear Admiral Daupreye Matthew, Director of Training, Defence Headquarters.
He said the military was not contemplating scrapping the non-kinetic approach as part of the efforts being used to solve insecurity challenges.
Musa further explained that the use of non-kinetic efforts under Operation Safe Corridor had led to the surrender of more than 2,000 Boko Haran members between 2016 and 2017.
According to him, 67 per cent of those who surrendered were of the Abubakar Shekau faction of the insurgents.
He added that 1,543 repentant terrorists graduated from Mallam Sidi Camp in Gombe State and 1,935 were released from Bulumkutu camp in Borno between 2016 and 2022.
General Musa noted that from July 2021 to May 4, 2022 alone, no fewer than 51,828 terrorists and their family members surrendered.
He said 13,360 out of them were fighters, stressing that 106,000 terrorists and their family members had so far surrendered in the North East.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
