Major General Christopher Musa, the theatre commander of the North-East Joint Operation, Hadin Kai, reported that 886 terrorists were awaiting transport to the Giwa Project in Kainji, Niger State, for prosecution.
Speaking to journalists in Borno on Monday, Musa revealed that 323 detainees had been sent to Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State on September 8 as part of the federal government’s Deradicalization, Demobilization, and Rehabilitation (DDR) program.
Colonel Obinna Azuike, acting theater intelligence coordinator, spoke on behalf of General Musa.
He said that since July 2021, more than 82,237 terrorists and their families had turned themselves in. He also said that there are currently 1,893 suspects being held at the Giwa Center.
“886 detainees are awaiting transfer to Giwa Project in Kainji for prosecution, while 323 detainees were transferred to Op SAFE CORRIDOR in Gombe on 8 Sep 22 for the DDR programme,” Musa stated.
Musa stated, “As of date, a total of 82,237 BHT fighters and their families have surrendered since July 2021.” This refers to the number of insurgents that have turned themselves in to the military. 16,577 of the people who turned themselves in were active male fighters, 24,499 were women, and 41,161 were young children.
“Information gathered from thorough debriefings of the captured terrorists is continuously accounted for in the Theater’s operations. As more combatants continue to give themselves up, such debriefings are frequently conducted.
The Government Girls College Chibok students, who were kidnapped from their school in Borno State in 2014, were also discussed during his remarks.
The Theatre Commander reported that of the 276 girls kidnapped from the Chibok School, 57 managed to escape in 2014, 107 were freed in 2018, three were found in 2019, two were found in 2021, and 11 have already been found in 2022.
Musa stated that 96 of the 180 girls who had been rescued from captivity were still missing, despite continued military searches for them.
