By Laraba Usman
The Nigerian Army has been commended for rehabilitating 2,168 repentant boko haram insurgents under it’s de-radicalization, rehabilitation and re-intergration programme.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Gombe, the Editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Spokesman Media, Mr. Emeka Nwakpa and the Northern Regional Rapporteur of a civil society organisation, Concerned Professional Organisation, Mal. Alkasim Baba said the commendation followed assessment of the eight year activities of the programme.
De-radicalization, Rehabilitation and re-intergration DRR policy was implemented by the Operation Safe Corridor OPSC of the Nigerian Army aimed at training repentant boko haram insurgents on how to become a better citizens.
According to Mr. Emeka Nwakpa the repentant boko haram insurgents were trained on various skills of their choice and each was given a starter pack at the end of the training to enable him start up his own business.
He said so far all the repentant insurgents who received training at the operation safe corridor camp at Mallam-sidi village of Kwame local government area of Gombe state had been successfully re-intergrated into the society with most of them engaged in various trades of their choice.
Mr. Emeka Nwakpa also debunked claims that some of the repentant insurgents were acting as spies for the boko haram group describing the allegation as frivolous and baseless.
He said records had shown that none of the repentant insurgents was found wanting because of the intensity, credibility and integrity of the programme which prompted many countries to show interest in adopting it to tackle security challenges.
Also speaking Mal. Alkasim Baba said the Nigerian Army deserved respect and commendation for degrading the activities of the boko haram group while restoring peace in most of the front line states affected by insurgency.
