Military clears 95 repentant Boko Haram terrorists, to be reunited with families

The military has cleared 95 Boko Haram terrorists who surrendered and have gone through deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration (DRR) programme of its Operation Safe Corridors and would be reintegrated into the society.

Modalities of their reintegration are being worked out by a special committee set up by governors of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), among others.

The military authorities also said yesterday that the repentant Boko Haram fighters would be transferred to their various states of origin to be reunited with their families and communities.

The Boko Haram fighters, who were admitted into military facilities in Gombe State in July 2017, the military disclosed, have successfully gone through its 16-week deradicalisation programe.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, stated this in his opening remarks at a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday to work out modalities for their reintegration at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

He added that having followed their activities in the camp since the ex- fighters arrival, he was hopeful that they were different from who they used to be six months earlier.

“The ex- fighters have been transformed, made to imbibe good character and habits and they have also learnt vocational trades to empower them,” he said.

“The DPR camp in Gombe is structured and mandated to absorb surrendered Boko Haram terrorists and cleared suspects into the deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme,” he said.

Reviewing the programme, Col Adegoke Adetuyi, said out of the 95 deradicalised fighters, Borno State has 91, Adamawa and Bauchi have one each, while the state origin of the remaining two had not been determined.

He said the 95 Boko Haram ex- fighters, who commenced the DRR programme in July 2017, were adequately exposed to various therapies in the course of the programme.

“It is expected that with their exposure to skill acquisition training in some vocations, more of the terrorists are encouraged to leave the Boko Haram organization to restore peace and security in the North East,” he said.

Adetuyi said the camp graduated a few Boko Haram abductees and suspects in the pilot batch of the programme and were reunited with their families in June last year.