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Boko Haram commander, doctor, five others surrender for deradicalisation programme

By Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri
21 April 2018   |   4:23 am
A Boko Haram commander, doctor and five others have surrendered to the military for “deradicalisation and rehabilitation” under the safe corridor of the Nigerian Army.

A Boko Haram commander, doctor and five others have surrendered to the military for “deradicalisation and rehabilitation” under the safe corridor of the Nigerian Army.

Presenting the surrendered terrorists, yesterday, at a news conference in Maiduguri, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Nicholas Rogers, said the surrender of terrorists would fast track the deradicalisation and rehabilitation processes.

He stated: “We’re calling on all the insurgents still hiding in the bush and Sambisa Forest to come out and surrender without any hesitation and fear.

“They cannot continue to be living and hiding in bush and forest, without food and water, amid this ongoing war against insurgency. It has to come to an end with this safe corridor provide by the military.”

Rogers said the insurgents should not entertain any fear of arrest or humiliation in the frontlines of Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region bordering Niger, Chad and Cameroun, assuring: “We’re not going to kill any of the terrorists that surrendered to us
Today.”

He said the Army has been calling on the terrorists to surrender without any fear, as they would be embraced and taken care of before being registered for the military’s deradicalisation and rehabilitation programme.

“Out of the seven terrorists that surrendered today (yesterday) to the military, Umar Ibrahim (36) was the terrorists’ commander, while his wife, Zari Ali, served as women leader of Boko Haram before she surrendered with three other children.

“The 23-year-old Boko Haram doctor, Ali Mohammed Haruna, also told us that over 300 terrorists are willing to surrender to the military.

“Ibrahim and Haruna were willing to surrender to us since 2016 from Sambisa Forest and Banki axis. But today (yesterday), they are here with their wife and three children for this deradicalisation programme,” he noted.

Ibrahim told The Guardian that the terrorists had been feeding on roots, herbs and termites to survive in the bush and forest, urging Nigerians to forgive them for the massive destruction of lives and property, as some terrorists have commenced surrendering to the military.

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