Over 200 B’Haram members lay down arms on Sallah

Apparently taking advantage of the call that if they surrender, they will be granted amnesty and reintegrated into the society, over 200 Boko Haram members have surrendered their arms to troops of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army in Borno State on Thursday, military authorities have disclosed.

Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole (Peace is Must) in the north east, Major General Mohammed Abubakar said the decision to lay down arms is not unconnected to the ongoing offensive raid going on in the border communities of Banki, Bama local government in Borno State and Cameroon Republic.

It may be recalled that many communities on that axis have been under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents until they were recently recaptured by the Nigerian military.

The Commander spoke at an interactive session with journalists today at the Military Command and Control Centre in Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to him, those who surrendered were mainly women and children.

“I’m happy to inform you that over 200 terrorists surrendered to my troops around Banki town on Thursday. The field commander just called me and briefed me about the development,” he said.

Read also: Boko Haram members surrender

Upbeat, he said: “We’re calling on other terrorists to surrender as anyone who surrender will be reintegrated into the society.”

Expatiating, he said: “Presently, we have 36 Internally Displaced Persons Camps in the north east and all those who surrendered to troops were screened before taken to these camps pending when the closed down roads will be reopened for motorists so that the displaced people will go back to their liberated communities.

“We have started sending our engineers to repair all the destroyed bridges. Already our engineers have started reconstructing the destroyed bridges along Gamboru-Ngala- Maiduguri, Gombi- Garkida- Biu roads among others and very soon the menace of Boko haram madness will be over, but this can never be achieved without the full cooperation of the media and the general public.”

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