Four Boko Haram terrorists who voluntarily surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole operating around Kumshe were yesterday handed over to the Headquarters Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri. The terrorists who claimed they are from the Abubakar Shekau faction comprised 3 men, one woman and 3 children.
Two of the men were Boko Haram Amirs (Commanders) , while the third man was a Boko Haram Medic, who provided medical treatments to wounded insurgents in the field. The only woman among them is a wife to one of the Amirs and held a position as one of the women leaders amongst the female terrorists , while the children, comprising two girls and a boy are offsprings of the surrendered terrorists.
Speaking during the handover, the Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas stated that the foot soldiers of the Boko Haram terrorists group have been deceived and fooled by their leaders for too long, making them believe that they will be killed by the military, if they surrender to troops. He assured all insurgents who are willing to surrender that they will not be killed, but rather, will be deradicalized and rehabilitated in the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor.
General Nicholas called on all Boko Haram insurgents to abandon the group’s meaningless and futile struggle and come out from their hideouts to voluntarily surrender to troops nearest to their location .
In a chat with journalists at the handing over of the insurgents, the Theatre Commander disclosed that as part of Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) activities earmarked for the celebration of the Nigerian Army Day for year 2018 (NADCEL), Operation Last Hold will be conducted in the North East theatre of operation during which Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) will be encouraged to relocate to their communities to resume farming activities .
He added that the Nigerian Army will provide security to the locals in their farming areas and also assist them in their farming projects.
The Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai will flag off the project and encourage the IDPs to return to their farm lands. He called on well meaning Nigerians to support this initiative by providing farming implements and seedlings to the locals.
He further pleaded with the Bornu State Government to help sensitize and mobilise the locals on the initiative
