The Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, says no fewer than 14,809 out of the 70,593 insurgents who surrendered to troops are combatants and are to be prosecuted for terrorism and other criminal activities in the Northeast.
While briefing newsmen on the successes recorded so fat within the theatre on Friday, Musa said that 70,593 persons, comprising Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and their families had surrendered to the military.
He said out of the surrendered ones, over 14,800 arrested suspects were, however, active terrorists, while 20,955 were women with 35, 209 children.
The commander said some of detained terrorists were cleared by the Theatre Command in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
He said: “We’ve begun the review of the cases of detainees at the joint investigation centre. The cleared suspects have been handed over to the Borno State government and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).”
Musa also disclosed that on July 13, Haruna Fulani and Usman, suspected suppliers of logistics to Commander Adamu Ngulde at the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local Council were arrested. Items recovered from them included 13 bales of wrappers, 15 yards of black curtain clothes, under-wears and 25 pairs of rubber shoes.”
He said since the inception of the Operation Desert Sanity, the terrorists had been degraded to the point that they could no longer carry out successful combat operations.
He said the terrorists were mainly looking for food and logistics, adding that as a result of the troop’s sustainable operations, “many terrorists were neutralised during the clearance the recent clearance operations.”
“The insurgents have continued to relocate from one enclave to another, seeking alternative hideouts and temporary shelter. The rainy season has also pushed them out of their comfort zones,” he said.
“We’ve begun the review of the cases of detainees at the joint investigation centre. The cleared suspects have been handed over to the Borno State government and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).”
The theatre commander further said that since the inception of the Operation Desert Sanity, the terrorists had been degraded to the point that they could no longer carry out successful combat operations.
He said the terrorists were mainly looking for food and logistics, adding that as a result of the troop’s sustainable operations, “many terrorists were neutralised during the clearance the recent clearance operations.”
“The insurgents have continued to relocate from one enclave to another, seeking alternative hideouts and temporary shelter. The rainy season has also pushed them out of their comfort zones,” he said.
