1,050 Boko Haram insurgents surrender, many flee
The Nigerian Army on Saturday
said 1,050 insurgents had surrendered to troops in Lake Chad and Monguno
general area of operations, as it also warned that many of them were on the
run.
The army urged abutting
communities to watch out for the fleeing Boko Haram insurgents as their
enclaves in Lake Chad region came under intense onslaught.
Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the
Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, made the
disclosure in a statement in Maiduguri.
Nwachukwu disclosed that 250
fighters of the Al Barnawi-led faction of the insurgents had surrendered to
Nigerian Army, sequel to artillery and aerial bombardments by troops of
Operation Lafiya Dole of their enclaves in Lake Chad basin.
He added that 700 insurgents
also surrendered to troops at Monguno in an ongoing clearance operation.
Nwachukwu explained that
Mamman Nur, another factional leader of the insurgents sustained fatal injuries
and one of his wives killed in the operation, while many of the insurgents who
escaped, surrendered to Niger Defence Forces.
The army spokesman noted that
some of the insurgents fleeing from the ongoing offensive were senior and
junior commanders of the Al Barnawi faction.
“The insurgents are attempting
to melt into communities in and around Kano, Geidam and Gashua axis unnoticed.
One of such fleeing commanders is Bana Bafui.
“Members of the general
public, particularly in Kano, Geidam, Gashua, Hadejia and northern part of
Jigawa State are therefore enjoined to be vigilant, watch out for strange faces
in their communities and report same to security agencies.”
Nwachukwu called on the
insurgents to surrender, adding that the Federal Government had provided a
window through the Operation SAFE CORRIDOR to encourage the insurgents’
voluntary surrender.
He revealed that about 300
insurgents were currently undergoing de-radicalisation process for possible
integration into the society.
“We call on Boko Haram
insurgents to abandon the futile struggle; take advantage of the Safe Corridor
programme and surrender to troops in any location nearest to them.
“We guarantee their safety and
incorporation into the programme for de-radicalisation and rehabilitation.”
