Since assuming office on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari has made the war against Boko Haram one of his main priorities and talks between the government and the terrorists are believed to be taking place. Under a rehabilitation plan being discussed, fighters who lay down their arms will be offered an amnesty, training and integrated back into society.
As part of this programme, Nigeria defence headquarters has established a committee to oversee the process. Group Captain Wap Maigida of the defence ministry's information department, added that Boko Haram members pencilled for reintegration are those forcefully conscripted into the group and those who have already surrendered and given up their membership.
He added that about 315 Boko Haram members have surrendered and are being detained in isolated camps to ensure that they submit to state control. According to Group Captain Maigida, the successes being recorded by the military against the insurgents in the battlefield has resulted in large number of terrorists willing to surrender their arms and embrace peace.
Group Captain Maigida added that members of the committee comprise of relevant federal government agencies involved in the counter-insurgency operation and representatives of states in the northeast and Jigawa State. In addition, the governors of Jigawa and Adamawa States were represented at the inauguration ceremony.
Among the committee’s terms of reference include identifying implementation partners and establishing their responsibilities, establishing a framework for coordination of implementation agencies and to determine funding requirements and sources. It also includes identifying technical assistance needs and possible sources, outlining broad information strategies in collaboration with implementation agencies and determining the location of assembly areas, encampment sites, internally displaced peoples (IDP) camps as well as safe corridors and routes.
In addition, the committee will determine the overall security requirements and concerns in the counter-insurgency operation. According to Group Captain Maigida, the committee which has one month for its assignment, will also tackle the creation of mobile offices, access roads, feeding and medical treatment for the IDP, skill and vocational training for the IDP, joint media centres and the establishment of necessary structures and receptive centres to resettle repentant terrorists.
Group Captain Maigida added that to ameliorate the suffering of the IDP, defence headquarters and the services have embarked on aggressive quick impact projects. He said that the intensity and momentum of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram have not subsided as most of the terrorists have been decimated through ongoing clearance operations with their logistics supply routes blocked.
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