Insurgency: 1,050 Boko Haram surrender — Nigerian Army

By Olayinka Ajayi

Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu

The Nigerian Army said 1,050 Boko Haram members had surrendered to troops in Lake Chad and Monguno general area of operations.

Speaking, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure in a statement in Maiduguri.

Nwachukwu, said 250 fighters of the Al Barnawi-led faction of the insurgents had surrendered to Nigerian Army, following 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 said that Mamman Nur, a factional leader of the insurgents sustained fatal injuries while one of his wives was killed in the operation.

The army had on Friday announced Mr. Nur was “fatally injured”, but gave no further details.

The army spokesman said 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,” he said.

“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. “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.”