Boko Haram: Tension In Military As FG Releases1,400 Insurgents

By Ade Gbemisoke

Top Military Brass Angry

The federal government has ignited unrest in the nation’s Armed Forces following the release of 1,400 Boko haram fighters.

The former fighters are prepared to be reintegrated back into the society after securing their freedom, the government said.

They were prisoners of war and suspects captured by the military in the theatre of war, but have now been set free after going through rehabilitation, the Nigerian Armed Forces said.

But the development has not really gone down well with some top military brass who insist that the captured militants should not have been released at this time that troops are still fighting serious battle to defeat the insurgents.

It’s A Political Decision

The complaint is that the decision is a political one without consideration for its security implication on the nation.

Sources in the military said the decision could demoralise the troops and push back gains already made in the last five years against terrorism.

Tens of soldiers and officers have been killed by the fighters during the crack down on the terrorists.

Terrorists Kill 70,000

Wateraid, an international said civilians killed by the insurgents have reached more than 4000 while close to 70,000 others have also died due to hunger and other environmental problems.

But on Tuesday, the Borno state government confirmed that the fighters have been released.

Babakura Jato, the state’s commissioner of information said the boko haram suspects are waiting to be integrated back into the society.

But the troops in the operation Lafiya Dole are not happy with the decision.

The cable had quoted in a report that soldiers fighting insurgents in the north east felt they have been let down by the military high command and the federal government.

The situation has now become worse within the ranks and officers the magazine has learnt.

 Outrage Over Release

According to various sources who spoke with the magazine on Monday after the released, the thinking in the military, particularly the lower ranks, is that of disillusionment that the federal government is not serious about winning the war against the deadly insurgents.

Some soldiers in the war front have been very active in the way they expose what they described as lack of necessary weapons and platforms to fight.

“What this means is that the troops in the war front are already tired and demoralised. Surely this is not what we need now if we want to win the battle,” Famous Adokie, a counter insurgency expert said.

The source, however dismissed any “serious unrest or ‘coup’ in the military” due to the development.

President Buhari, on Monday, in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he’s attending the AU Heads of states and Government meeting, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to defeat insurgency in the country.

His comment came on the crest of killing, on Sunday, of more than 30 persons by suspected boko haram fighters in Borno state.

Apart from those killed, more than 30 vehicles were said to have been burnt by the rampaging insurgents, score others wounded while undisclosed number of women and children have now been abducted.

“This is definitely not the right time to release boko haram members who are known to have killed and maimed our people. To do this in the time of war is to show weakness,” a politician in the ruling APC said.

He said the fighters are likely to return because “they have been use to killing people. They also know that they will be set free after committing heinous crime against humanity.”

A top military officer told the magazine in confidence that the decision to release captured fighers is in bad state and not well though of “by the nation’s decision makers.”

US Against Release of Terrorists

“President Barack Obama of the United states of America,  was known to have locked up over 200 terrorists in  Guantanamo Bay military prison for eight year he was president.

When Donald Trump came to office he maintained the policy despite his many differences with his predecessor,” he said.

While signing an executive order in 2018 to keep the Bay open Trump said “Terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy combatants. And when captured overseas, they should be treated like the terrorists they are.”

Releasing them, he said portends more dangers “In the past, we have foolishly released hundreds of dangerous terrorists only to meet them again on the battlefield.”

“The reason is that once a terrorist is always a terrorist. By releasing them we have open more doors for them to continue to kill our soldiers and civilians,” the officer said.

Security experts told the magazine that it will be impossible for the 1400 fighers to reintegrate bqck into normal societal life.

“The quest for adventure and nothing -to- do will drive them back to their former lives,”  a security expert said in confidence because of what he described as ‘fear for the lives of my family and loved ones.’

FG Under Pressure To Release Fighters

It was learnt that the federal government was pressured by international civil society to release the former fighters.

International human rights groups like Amnesty International has been critical of human rights abuse by the Nigerian Military, particularly the way captured insurgents were treated by soldiers.

The military has also come under trenchant criticisms over indiscriminate arrest and killing of some civilian in the theatre of war by soldiers.

The development has affected the reputation of the government in the international community.

“When you are faced with a grim option of losing the support of the international community in the fight against terrorism, you have no option than to accept their demands,” Boye Taylor, a human rights activist told the maagzine.

DHQ Says Fighters De-radicalised

Meanwhile, Onyema Nwachukwu, spokesperson, Defence Headquarters’ , said the military has on performed its role as a civil authority by releasing the fighters.

“We’ve made some releases, that’s the truth. We should know what the operation is about.

But take note, it’s not that we capture Boko Haram suspects and then go back and release them. No,” he said.

He said the military was under international pressure to release the suspects.

According to him “The civil organisations involved in the operation include UNICEF, International Office on Migration (IOM) and relevant government ministries and security agencies.”

He said the fighers have been undergone series of reorientation “Not left out of the oversight structure of the operation is the Gombe state govt where the DRR facility is located.

As a testimony to the effectiveness of the Safe Corridor initiative, so far, about 800 ex Boko Haram fighters who would have unleashed unimaginable terror on citizens have been admitted and out of which 287 of them have been successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, with many still undergoing the DRR programme,” he said.