Channels TV said, the presidency has denied reports suggesting that repentant Boko Haram terrorists are being placed into the Nigerian military.
According to Channel TV, in a statement issued yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, says no ex-terrorist is absorbed into the Nigerian military.
This escalation was due to an allegation made by Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum that his convoy was attacked by soldiers and not Boko Haram terrorists
Following this development, many Nigerians had suggested on social media that the attack was carried out by the repentant insurgents who had allegedly joined the army.
“It is important for the public to know that nobody has ever been absorbed into the military from the de-radicalized Boko Haram and there is no such plan for their absorption,” the statement partly read.
The presidential spokesman explained that the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor programme aimed at rehabilitating the ex-terrorists were being monitored by the International Organisation for Migration.
“None of the 601 former Boko Haram members who voluntarily laid down their arms, and have recently graduated from the Federal Government’s de-radicalization and rehabilitation programme, is going into the military.
“This is the fourth such graduation of repentant Boko Haram fighters and not one of such graduates has been absorbed into the military.
“The public needs to be reassured that the de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremists of the Buhari administration code-named “Operation Safe Corridor,” follows an established example from countries with similar experiences, and is supported academically and materially by the European Union and the United Nations,” he said.
Credit___Channels TV
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