Army begins deradicalisation of 43 former Boko Haram
fighters
The Nigerian Army on Sunday said it had begun the
de-radicalisation of 43 Boko Haram insurgents who recently surrendered in
Borno.
A statement signed by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director
Army Public Relations, Theatre Command, and made available to newsmen in
Maiduguri, said that the insurgents were airlifted to Gombe, to begin their
de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programme.
The de-radicalisation programme is being run under the
“Operation Safe Corridor “initiated by the Federal Government.
The programme was designed to encourage the insurgents to
lay down their arms and join the de-radicalisation programme for reintegration
into the society.
The Theatre Commander, Maj.-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, said in the
statement that the insurgents would be given a new lease of life to join the
society during the three-month de-radicalisation and rehabilitation processes.
“I urge you to embrace and undertake the programme
whole-heartedly, to enable you to benefit and positively re-orientate your
views about life and the society in general.
“I call on all other insurgents to abandon the futile
struggle and reject the hypocrisy of the Boko Haram leadership, who live in
affluence, while their foot soldiers die in hunger,” Attahiru said.
The statement added that more than 70 Boko Haram insurgents
had earlier in the month, surrendered to troops in the North-East, taking
advantage of the window of grace provided by the Federal Government for
insurgents.
The 43 were on Saturday transported to Gombe where they are
to begin a de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programme under the auspices of
Operation Safe Corridor.
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