About 30,000 members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups have surrendered since September 2021.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed this in an interview with journalists shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House on Thursday.
He said the “defections” are not based on government-based incentives as his administration is not issuing any promissory notes to the terrorists; as a bargaining chip.
Zulum said, “The ongoing, massive defection of Boko Haram members, this time around, has also started with a defection of ISWAP members. This is a welcome development.
“As of now we have received nothing less than 30,000 from beginning to date for both Boko Haram and ISWAP. ISWAP, we have started receiving them in few numbers, but Boko Haram, we have started receiving them in huge numbers.
“The way we are going, with the support of the federal government with good management, Boko Haram will be over very soon.”
The governor denied claims that the terrorists are been baited into surrendering with cash and non-monetary rewards.
He said, rather, the government issues no promissory notes to the terrorists who, he claimed, are surrendering on their own accord.
He said, “The most important thing is that the federal government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Buhari, the Borno State Government, and the military, we’re all working in close collaboration to ensure that those that are willing to surrender are given the opportunity to surrender.
“We don’t give any promissory notes to defectors, honestly speaking. As I’ve been saying before, the kinetic measures alone will never end the insurgency. The social and political dimension of this crisis is very important. So we have decided to engage them through dialogue and mediation, to ensure that many of them lay their arms.
“But you also have to understand one essential thing; there is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have surrendered. People should understand these two unidentical situations. Go back and Google and see the international conventions, rules and regulations. There is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have willingly surrendered,” Zulum explained.
Asked if the insurgency in the Northeast will end before the end of his first tenure in 2023, the Governor said, “Insha Allah. Even now, in Borno State, we’re doing extremely well. You know what I mean by Insha Allah, God willing, it will end before 2023.”
On the purpose of his visit to the President, Zulum said, “In a closed-door session with Mr President, we discussed a lot of issues and how the government of Borno State, as well as the federal government, will manage the ongoing surrender by the insurgents.
“So far, so good, the objective has started yielding positive results. Apart from this also, in Borno State, for example, as I told you last time, we had problems on the shores of Lake Chad as well as in southern Borno.”
