The number of Boko Haram insurgents who have so far surrendered to the government has now reached 17,000.
The Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force, North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Major-General Christopher Musa, said this in Maiduguri when he was paying a courtesy call on the management of the North East Development Commission, (NEDC).
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According to General Musa, those who surrendered comprised of combatants, non-combatants, those conscripted against their wish and family members.
He called for assistance of the NEDC to maintain them as the military continues to profile the insurgents.
The Theatre Commander said the development is a positive one, which has brought concern for members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), who have started panicking, as their hope to inherit Boko Haram fighters has boomeranged.
Musa said the disturbed ISWAP group has even set up a task force, to stop the surrender, adding that the way the surrendered ones are managed would ginger those in the forest to come out of hiding.
He lauded the intervention of the NEDC in areas of humanitarian and infrastructure support in the region and urged it to extend its intervention to the military, particularly, in the rehabilitation of structures and roads to facilitate movement.
The Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, lauded the effective role of the military in restoring peace in the region, adding that the improvement in security in the northeast has enabled the commission to embark on various projects and other non-kinetic support in recovered areas.
Alkali who assured the military of continuous collaboration and support urged them to sustain the tempo at this critical time of closure of camps in Maiduguri and the resettlement of displaced persons back to their ancestral homes.
Reporter: Ifeanyi Mark Editor : Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie
