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Defence chief denies recruitment of ex-Boko Haram fighters into military
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, on Thursday dismissed reports that repentant and rehabilitated Boko Haram members were being recruited into the Nigerian military.
Olonisakin, who stated this at a stakeholders’ Meeting on Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) in Abuja, added that there had been fears that products of OPSC are being recruited into the military and paramilitary organizations in the country.
The meeting was convened by the Defence Headquarters to work out modalities for the transfer of rehabilitated ex-Boko Haram terrorists to their national and state governments.
Olonisakin, who was represented at the meeting by Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, AVM Nurudeen Balogun said the military had made progress in the fight against insurgency.
He said: “I wish to categorically refute the claim and assure Nigerians that none of the rehabilitated Nigerians from OPSC Deradicalization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration has been recruited into the Nigerian Military or any sister security agencies.
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“Stringent measures have been put in place to prevent such from happening.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria and indeed the armed forces as well as the Security agencies are committed to ending the insurgency in the North East and other forms of criminalities bedeviling the nation.”
He added that activities of Boko Haram/Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists had been greatly restricted to a small portion of Sambisa forest and isolated islands on the Lake Chad.
According to him, the sect carried out occasional attacks on soft military and civil targets, and very lately, disruption of movement on major highways in the North East to create apprehension and insecurity.
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