
President Buhari flanked by the newly-appointed service chiefs, at the State House, Abuja, Wednesday
Buhari to meet service chiefs, Thursday, over mass surrender of Boko Haram fighters

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to meet with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Thursday, over recent surrender of Boko Haram commanders and other fighter to the Nigerian military.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

The President returned to Abuja last Friday after 18 days in London, during which he attended an education summit and did health checks.
Adesina noted that the nation’s security forces had in the past few weeks taken the battle more robustly to insurgents, bandits and all other criminals troubling the country.
”They are now surrendering in droves.
”The President will be brought up to speed on developments at the Thursday meeting, while plans to bring a decisive end to the challenges will be formulated,” he further disclosed.
Meanwhile, Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum and some stakeholders in the state have expressed satisfaction with the growing number of insurgents laying down arms and surrendering to the military.
They expressed optimism over the development and urged maximum utilisation of the opportunity by the authorities and citizens for the desired lasting peace in the frontline state, which has experienced mayhem over the last 12 years.
Zulum in a broadcast described the development as an opportunity that should be harnessed, adding that it is part of the ‘Sulhu (reconciliation) programme’ organised with the support of security agencies to help those willing to surrender to do so.
“I think this is an opportunity for us to harness. There is a need for all and sundry to give support to this initiative,” he said.
Zulum lauded the military and other security agencies for the professionalism so far shown that has continued to facilitate the programme.
He noted that the people of Borno have two choices to make: either to accept the repentant insurgents or reject them and create a situation where they could join another terrorist group and continue to fight.
“On my way travelling to Gwoza and Bama, I saw many people cultivating their farmlands by the roadside, and this is an indication of emerging peace, which we have to sustain in order to salvage our people.
“However, like I said, we must come together to carefully analyse the two extremes and come up with a workable framework,” Zulum said.
The governor said that he would engage in high level consultations with the Presidency, service chiefs, residents, security heads, traditional rulers, victims of the insurgents, elders and religious leaders, among others, on the best way forward.
Also reacting to the surrender by Boko Haram fighters, chairman of Borno Concerned Citizens Forum, Alhaji Hassan Zanna, described the development as a big relief to the people of Borno.
Zanna, however, called for proper documentation of those that surrendered and spoke of the need to check their physical and mental status while they undergo deradicalisation and other procedures necessary for reintegrating those qualified into the society.
He explained that the development was reducing tension in the state and facilitating the expansion of farming activities in areas hitherto known as no-go areas.
“Last year, by now, we had cases of farmers being killed in their farms by insurgents, but now that is history.
“We need to thank God for this development as we look forward to bumper harvest,” Zanna said.
On his part, the Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state, Alhaji Shettima Ja’afar, called for support for the initiative to succeed.
Ja’afar said most of those surrendering between the age of 35 and below were too young 12 years ago when they were misled or compelled to join the insurgency.
While urging the public to accept them when fully de-radicalised, Ja’afar said that the National Orientation Agency had started training its personnel on reaching out to the public on the need to accept repentant insurgents that have been de-radicalised.