The Defence Headquarters has denied the absorption of some
deradicalized Boko Haram ex-fighters into the Nigerian military.
In a statement signed
by the Director Defence Information, Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu, the military
said the claims are not only bereft of the truth, but laced with mediocrity
emanating from poorly researched and uninformed positions.
He added that no Boko
Haram ex-fighter has been recruited into the Nigerian military and no such plan
is in the offing. The de-radicalization, rehabilitation, and reintegration
program Brigadier -general Nwachukwu further stated is a Federal Government
program conducted under the auspices of Operation Safe Corridor as a
non-kinetic operation targeted at low-risk combatants and has become a classical
example in the Lake Chad Basin region and West Africa.
He concluded that over 250 repentant insurgents who
willingly abandoned their struggle and surrendered to federal troops have been
de-radicalized, rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society by their
respective state governments in conjunction with traditional and religious
institutions.
Below is the full
statement as published by the Defence Headquarters...
The Defence Headquarters has been notified of false
information peddled in some online media, insinuating that deradicalized Boko
Haram ex- fighters are being absorbed into the Nigerian military.
One of such insinuations is contained in a trending video
footage published by Roots TV, where one Balhatu Musa Ezekiel claimed the Nigeria
Army had recruited de-redicalized Boko Haram Ex-fighters into the Army and was
therefore recycling insurgency.
The Defence Headquarters wishes to unambiguously state that
Balhatu’s claims are not only bereft of truth, but laced with mediocrity
emanating from poorly researched and uninformed position. Contrary to his claims , no Boko Haram ex-
fighter has been recruited into the Nigerian military and no such plan is in
the offing.
The de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration
program is a Federal Government program conducted under the auspices of
Operation Safe Corridor as a non- kinetic operation. Nigeria’s De-radicalization model is a very
effective one, targeted at low risk combatants and has become a classical
example in the Lake Chad Basin Region and West Africa.
Over 250 repentant insurgents who willingly abandoned their
struggle and surrendered to federal troops have been de-radicalized,
rehabilitated and re-integrated into the society by their respective state
governments in conjunction with traditional and religious institutions.
Nigeria’s De-radicalization model is therefore not new in
the global community, as such model exists in Algeria, Colombia, Pakistan and
Saudi Arabia, where persons involved in violent extremism have been
de-radicalized and rehabilitated.
This process is therefore an internationally acceptable
practice now. So far in Nigeria, the
de-radicalized ex-fighters are doing well in their respective communities, as
no adverse report has been recorded against the de-radicalized repentant ex
fighters by Operation Safe Corridor’s monitoring unit.
There has not been report of molestation or harassment of
any sort against them by members of the communities, where they are resettled.
As a matter of verifiable fact, the reintegrated ex- fighters are doing well in
their various endeavours and are positively impacting on their respective
communities.
It is also expedient to state, that the Federal Government
of Nigeria has continued to prosecute BHT/ISWAP suspects in courts of competent
jurisdiction and over 500 terrorists have so far been convicted. Meanwhile, the
next round of prosecution of another batch of terrorism suspects is due to
commence shortly.
Members of the public are therefore enjoined to please
discountenance the misinformation and misguided views peddled by Balhatu Musa
Ezekiel, as it constitutes outright aberration of extant recruitment procedures
and practice of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Defence Headquarters reiterates its commitment to ensuring a well
motivated, trained and equipped Armed Forces that is professionally responsive
to national security commitments. Please disseminate this information through
your news medium. Thank you for your cooperation.
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