Major General Bamidele Ashafa, Team Leader of Operation Safe Corridor has disclosed that about 250 repentant Boko Haram insurgents have benefited from the federal government’s rehabilitation and reintegration program to ensure they become productive members of the society.
The Team Leader made this disclosure during a town hall meeting on Monday in Damaturu organised by the Nigerian Army in collaboration with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI) for traditional rulers and religious scholars on how to fully accept repentant Boko Haram members back into the society.
Ashafa, while speaking at the gathering, said that most of the former Boko Haram members were victims of circumstance and are dear in need of support to get their lives back on track.
“For the repentant Boko Haram members to effectively fit into the society they received psychological evaluation amd treatment from psychologists, counsellors and religious leaders”, he noted.
According to Ashafa, the former members of the dreaded group are currently undergoing vocational training on tailoring, carpentry and shoe making in order to contribute to societal growth and development.
He added, ” at the end of the vocational training, the beneficiaries will be provided with the required funds to start up a business so as to contribute for the development of the region and Nigeria in general”.
The Yobe state Commissioner of Police, Sunmonu Adeyemi Abdulmaliki represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Ishaku, assured the general public that the police will remain vigilant as always to ensure that the repentant members remain law abiding.
“It is a good sign of peace that members of Boko Haram are beginning to lay down their arms and embrace peace and dialogue”, he pointed.
A renowned Damaturu-based Islamic scholar, Ustaz Hudu Mohammed, and a traditional leader from Gujba local government, urged the public to forgive and forget whatever the repentant members of the sect have done so as to move the society forward.
“Islam is a religion of peace and forgiveness as taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)”, they reminded.
The awareness campaign is expected to cover the North-Eastern states ravaged by the menace of Boko Haram insurgents.
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