Nigerian Army Says No Boko Haram Fighter Released

By Ayodele Oni

The Nigerian Army (NA) has categorically denied reports that it released 1009 ex-Boko Haram fighters in its custody to State Governments.

The denial of the story which made rounds Thursday morning, and put Nigerians on edge, came as the Army shed light on the category of suspected terrorists in custody, that are presently being released to State Governments for rehabilitation.

NA explained in a statement on Thursday that only those that were not implicated in insurgency and terrorism were being released to undergo further rehabilitation.

The statement, signed by Director, Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, stated that:

“The Nigeria Army has been notified of a media publication alleging that the NA has handed over 1009 Ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno State government.

“The report also alleged that the event was shrouded in secrecy. This report, is obviously one of those  attempts to dampen troops’ morale and denegrate the NA, riding on the back of unsubstantiated report and misinformation.

“It is an indisputable fact that the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North East has led to the arrest of several terrorism/insurgency suspects.

“These suspects have been held in custody, while undergoing profiling and further investigations by experts from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC) and those who are found culpable are usually handed over to prosecuting agencies  accordingly, while those who are not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are cleared and released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society.

“These cleared suspects are therefore not ex Boko Haram fighters, as peddled in the said report and as the masterminds would want to impress on the public.

“A total of 1009 cleared suspects, not ex fighters, were therefore released after this rigorous process on Wednesday 14 July 2021.

“It is also necessary to categorically state that the handing over of the cleared suspects was not shrouded in secrecy as it was witnessed by United Nations Humanitarian and government agencies, in tandem with global best practice.

“The NA therefore urges the general public to discountenance this misinformation, as it is evidently a manipulation and distortion of the truth and reality of the event.”