Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno says the state has received no fewer than 300,000 repentant Boko Haram terrorists alongside their families from 2021 till date.
“Since the last three to four years till date, we received nothing fewer than 300,000 repentant Boko Haram members and their families,” Mr Zulum said in an interview aired on New Central on Thursday.
“That is a very huge success. This, alongside other kinetic measures, has drastically reduced insurgency,” Mr Zulum said, despite a series of attacks on military bases and communities in Borno by Boko Haram terrorists.
Mr Zulum said the non-kinetic measures taken to combat insecurity in the state had also been very productive, acknowledging the support from the army.
“But I want to inform you that our non-kinetic measures have really yielded a positive result because we have received tremendous support from the Nigerian army,” he noted.
Contrary to previous claims that some members of the army were complicit in the insurgency ravaging the region, Mr Zulum said the state government had maintained a cordial relationship with the military, leading to a massive reduction in the crisis.
“Sincerely speaking, the Borno government is working well with the Nigerian Army. Hitherto, we used to have some problems, but it has been a long time since we have maintained a cordial relationship and because of this, a lot has been achieved,” the governor said.
Mr Zulum’s assertion came a few weeks after the governor condemned the resurgence of Boko Haram and the politicisation of terrorism in the country, alleging some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces were acting as informants and collaborators for the insurgents.
The governor, in an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Central on May 21, accused Nigerian soldiers and politicians of working for Boko Haram.
Meanwhile, scores of Nigerians on X condemned Mr Zulum’s boasting of granting amnesty to repentant terrorists despite wreaking unprecedented havoc on innocent Nigerians.
“People are amazed to hear the word ‘Repentant Boko Haram’ vis-à-vis their crimes, the killings, ruins, and victims they created. Do not be amazed. Those guys were tools, accessories, and compliant foot soldiers. We are still yet to know who their sponsors are,” @justkency partly said.
Another netizen, @Nuel, noted, “The fact that we believe they have repented is the reason why we are still facing severe insecurity problems.”
“Yet their victims that manage to overpower them are being thrown to jail for defending themselves. Make it make sense. They don’t deserve to be in our society. They send bad signal to the upcoming, don’t you people learn,” @ToheebAlim wrote.
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