CDS reassures on safe release of Boko Haram captives

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, on Thursday reassured Nigerians on the safe release of all those held captive by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.

Olonisakin gave the assurance while fielding questions from newsmen on the sidelines of the Nigerian Navy Research and Development Seminar 2015, in Abuja.

He said the armed forces were concerned about the safety of the captives as well as their freedom.

“We are to ensure that everyone that has been abducted or even conscripted by the Boko Haram terrorists, we bring them to safety, including the Chibok girls.

“So that is our desire, that is what we are working toward,” Olonisakin said.

He said that the recent suicide bombings in Maiduguri were as a result of the pressure on the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

Olonisakin, who said that the Boko Haram terrorists were now aiming at soft targets, urged citizens to be security conscious and report any suspicious movements.

“We just want to talk to the citizens to ensure that they are security conscious and report any suspicious movement around them because security is everybody’s business, especially the phase we are in now.

“Pressure has been on them ( Boko Haram insurgents) and they are fanning up, so in their process of fanning up they are hitting the soft targets.

“We must be wary and we must be security conscious and report any suspicious movements and activities around our area to the security agents,” he said.

He said that there were some members of the sect that had surrendered whom included women and children of the insurgents.

“So far, we have some of the Boko Haram insurgents who have surrendered and among them are women and children, they are at the collection point.

“We are moving them to areas where we can profile them to ensure that they are not involved in those acts again,” the chief of defence staff.