The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, stated that a total of 1,935 repentant Boko Haram terrorists have been released from the Bulumkutu camp in Borno State back into Nigerian society between 2016 and 2022.
News About Nigeria gathered that this disclosure was made during a lecture titled ‘Non-Kinetic Operations and the Nigerian Armed Forces’ at the opening session of a national security course on ‘Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS)’ organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja.
Gen. Musa emphasised the military’s commitment to the non-kinetic approach, particularly under Operation Safe Corridor, highlighting its success in encouraging the surrender of over 2,000 Boko Haram members between 2016 and 2017.
He specified that 67% of those who surrendered belonged to the Abubakar Shekau faction.
The CDS further detailed that 1,543 repentant terrorists graduated from the Mallam Sidi Camp in Gombe State, and a total of 51,828 terrorists and their family members surrendered from July 2021 to May 4, 2022.
Out of this number, 13,360 were fighters, and a cumulative total of 106,000 terrorists and their family members have surrendered in the North East.
The information was shared as part of the national security course aimed at enhancing experts’ understanding of the dynamics of psychological operations and strategic communication under the theme ‘Winning Hearts and Minds for National Cohesion and Development’
In other news, the Federal Government has revealed that it will provide security agencies with tracking equipment in a bid to put an end to the kidnappings in the country.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, stating that the procurement of these digital tools will help halt kidnappers in their tracks.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu has approved the procurement of this equipment and that the various security agencies have been able to point out what they need and it will be made available to them.