The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Mongono, says more than 15,000 Boko Haram terrorists have so far surrendered to troops from their enclaves, Sambisa Forest, as well as other hideouts.
The National Security Adviser also disclosed that there has been an ‘endless’ mass surrender of terrorists and their sympathizers In recent months.
The NSA who stated this at the Nigeria International Partnership Forum in Paris, France, attributed the mass surrender to the combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
“In recent months, there has been an endless mass surrender of terrorists and their sympathizers in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, Currently, over 15,000 people have been received.
“It is important to note that the combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures, largely contributed to this wave of surrender.
Mongono lamanted that the situation has prompted large scale humanitarian activities to rehabilitate the returnees by expanding the already existing Operation Safe Corridor for de-radicalization and subsequent reintegration into society.
According to him “I must mention the support of our neighbours Niger, Chad and Cameroon in our regional Counterterrorism efforts under the framework of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin.
‘Their determination and commitment have been quite reassuring. Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, permit me to pause at this juncture to pay special tribute on behalf of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to the late Marshal Idriss Deby Itnou, immediate past President of the Republic of Chad who was slain in action while trying to overcome the threats I mentioned earlier.
He added “Transnational organized crimes such as illicit financial flows, money laundering and proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) amongst others, have continued to create security challenges in the region.
“While illicit financial flow is a serious concern due to the linkage to terrorism and other transnational crimes; the proliferation of SALW has been a major challenge facilitated by porosity of borders. I will expand more on porous borders in a separate item of our discussion.