The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has said 129,417 Boko Haram terrorists and their family members have surrendered to security forces between July 10 and December 9, 2024.
The CDS revealed this at the ongoing 18th Africa Security Watch Conference in Doha, Qatar.
General Musa, in his presentation at the conference, with the theme: “Developing Modules for People-Centric Governance Towards Enhancement of Peace and Security,” was organised by Mr Patrick Agbambu of Security Watch Africa Initiative. It drew participants from Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia, South Africa, Kenya, and Qatar, said the figures comprised 30,426 fighters, 36,774 women, and 62,265 children.
He said the feat underscores the progress towards an increasingly peaceful society that promotes socio-economic development in Nigeria.
“The nexus between citizen’s socio-economic development and national defence attributed the surge in terrorist surrenders to the Armed Forces’ effective integration of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches,” he said.
According to him, this strategy has only stabilised communities and also created an environment conducive to socio-economic progress.
“The increasingly frequent surrenders signify the fruitful impact of our comprehensive approach,” said General Musa.
“We have made significant progress in fostering a peaceful society that guarantees improved socio-economic conditions for our citizens. While challenges remain, we are not where we were as of June 2023″ he added.
General Musa said the Armed Forces had contributed to the socio-economic development by boosting daily oil production, reducing attacks on vulnerable communities, and enhancing stability through innovative operational strategies.
These were achieved through a recalibration of tactics, techniques, and procedures, ensuring that both kinetic operations and people-centred initiatives worked in tandem.
In his remarks, the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (Rtd), spoke on “Leadership as an Agent of Positive Change in Security,” emphasising the critical role of purposeful and compassionate leadership.
“A leader driven by a genuine sense of purpose fosters trust and inspires personnel to see the broader impact of their daily actions on peace and security,” he stated.
Gambo saidwhen he cammnded the Navy, his focus was on personnel welfare and collective strength under the motto ‘Onward Together’ which yielded transformative results in naval operations and contributed significantly to national security.
National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, provided an overview of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts in his presentation, “The Trajectory of Counter-Terrorism Fight: The Nigerian Experience”, in which he revealed that the prosecution of terrorists had advanced, with five phases of trials yielding 505 convictions, while the sixth phase was underway.
In the lecture, which was delivered by Brigadier General SK Usman (Rtd), he described the country’s journey as one of resilience, adaptation, and significant progress amidst persistent challenges.
General Laka pointed to key military successes, such as reclaiming territories previously controlled by Boko Haram and ISWAP, the neutralisation of high-profile insurgent leaders like Abubakar Shekau, and the increasing rate of surrenders under Operation HADIN KAI.
