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The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has disclosed that no fewer than 3,478 repentant terrorists have been reintegrated to the society between 2016 and 2022. He also said the military had up-scaled the use of hard and soft power in counter-insurgency operations to contain emerging and changing nature of adversaries.
The CDS stated this while delivering a lecture entitled ”Non-Kinetic Operations and the Nigerian Armed Forces,” at the opening of a national security course on Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (PSYOPS) yesterday in Abuja.
The course was organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) with the theme, Winning Hearts and Minds for National Cohesion and Development. Represented by the director of training, Defence Headquarters Rear Admiral. Daupreye Matthew, Musa said that the use of non-kinetic efforts under Operation Safe Corridor had led to the surrender of more than 2,000 Boko Haram terrorists between 2016 and 2017.
He said 67 per cent of those who surrendered were of the Abubakar Shekau faction of the insurgents. Musa added that 1,543 repentant terrorists graduated from Mallam Sidi Camp in Gombe State and 1,935 were released from Bulumkutu camp in Borno between 2016 and 2022.
According to him, from July 2021 to May 4, 2022 alone, no fewer than 51,828 terrorists and their family members surrendered, out of which 13,360 were fighters. He added that 106,000 terrorists and their family members had so far surrendered in the North East.
The defence chief however called for assessment and content analysis of the security policies, legal and operational frameworks. He further advocated individual case management and referral services as well as community-based peace building, reconciliation and reintegration.
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