Some Boko Haram Members Has Surrendered To The Nigerian Army

Some members of the terrorists sect, the Boko Haram has surrendered to the Nigerian army and were shown to newsmen by the commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Monday 28th May, 2018.

The surrendered alledged members of the Boko Haram sect were seventeen in number, and were said to have surrendered to the Nigerian military due to the Federal Government’s pledge to offer them amnesty. One of them, Ahmed Alhassan, disclosed this when Major General Rogers Nicholas, paraded them at the headquarters of the Operation Dole in Maiduguri.

Alhassan said they heard President Buhari’s appeal to give them amnesty, through the radio at their camp known as “Marcas of Nguma” at the banks of Lake Chad region.

“We have been contemplating to surrender ourselves after we realised that we were being recruited into false movement. What pulled us back was the fear of being caught and killed by either our members or the military.

“But after the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari on granting amnesty to those who surrender, drop their arms and accept peace, we decided to defy all the fear and eventually came out.

“We also made up our minds to sacrifice our lives in a bid to secure freedom, knowing fully that God will forgive us for attempting to embrace peace and stop the killings,’’ he said.

The sect member disclosed that he was forcefully initiated by the Mamman Nur’s faction after the insurgents took over their town in Munguno four years ago.

“They gathered all of us and selected some of us, which they said we shall be working for the cause of God. Those who refused were eventually killed".

“Many have been conscripted and recruited, some have spent one and half, some two and some of us have spent four years,” he revealed".

The now former Boko Haram sect member, commended the military for treating them with dignity and care, urged other members to embrace the Federal Government’s peace offer to surrender.

“We eat the best of food and sleep in a conductive atmosphere. We are also allowed to interact with some our colleagues. They listen to us and share our pain,“ he disclosed.

Mustapha Umar, who is another member of the sect that surrenderd, claimed to be from Abubakar Shekau’s faction, said he had worked as a commanding officer for the group for about three years. Umar said he decided to lay down his arms because he was tired of the atrocities being committed under the guise of fighting for the religion of Islam

“We realised that the group was serving the course of the devil by committing all forms of atrocities. There was a lot of hardship in the camps. Many have been killed by one form of disease or the other.

“I am happy to be out here. The military have been treating us very humanly and I want to ask for forgiveness for all the pain I may have inflicted on the people while fighting for the baseless course,’’ he said.

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