The Nigerian Army said it has graduated and released 155 ex-Boko Haram fighters after they underwent an 11-month De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, tagged: “Operation Safe Corridor.”
The coordinator of the programme, Major General Bamidele Shafa, disclosed this on Saturday at a graduation ceremony of the ex-fighters at a training camp in Gombe State.
He said the repentant Boko Haram members would be reintegrate back into their respective communities after the 11 months of vocational and de-radicalisation training by relevant government agencies.
Shafa said the released ex-fighters are the second batch of the former insurgents to be released and integrated back to their respective communities since the inception of the programme in 2016.
The coordinator called on other Boko Haram fighters still in the bush to come out and surrender to the Nigerian Army to be reformed and rejoined with their families.
Major General Shafa added that the army has put a monitoring mechanism comprising traditional rulers and Civilian JTF to monitor their movement after they are released from the camp.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Ayobami Olanishakin, said since the inception of the ‘Operation Safe Corridor’ and opening of the camp in 2016, 254 repentant Boko Haram members were rehabilitated and released back to their states.
Represented by the Rear Admiral Peter Onaji, he appealed to their respective state governments to assist in the cause of their integration.
Gombe state governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, pledged his administration’s readiness to collaborate with the security agencies assist to ease the integration of the released former Boko Haram fighters.
Dankwambo , who was represented by the state Commissioner of Agriculture, Dahiru Buba Biri, called on members of the public to forgive and accept the repentant Boko Haram members.
Speaking on behalf of the former fighters, Abba Shuwa called on members of the public to forgive and accept them, saying they are now reformed and patriotic citizens of the country.
