The Defence Headquarters has reacted to reports making the rounds that repented Boko Haram fighters are being recruited into the Nigerian Army.
In a statement signed by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu described the report as unfounded
DHQ explained that apart from de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of the ex-Boko Haram insurgents, there was no such plan of recruiting repentant Boko Haram fighters.
The Defence Headquarters also disclosed that it is only the 250 Boko Haram fighters who willingly surrendered to government troops that have been de-radicalized and reintegrated into the society “and are doing well in their respective communities.”
The statement read: “The Defence Headquarters has been notified of false information peddled in some online media, insinuating that deradicalized Boko Haram ex-fighters are being absorbed into the Nigerian military. One of such insinuations is contained in a viral video footage published by Roots TV, where one Balhatu Musa Ezekiel claimed the Nigeria Army had recruited de-radicalized Boko Haram Ex-fighters into the Army and was, therefore, recycling insurgency.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to unambiguously state that Balhatu’s claims are not only bereft of truth, but laced with mediocrity emanating from poorly researched and uninformed position.
“Contrary to his claims, no Boko Haram ex-fighter has been recruited into the Nigerian military and no such plan is in the offing.
“The de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration program is a Federal Government program conducted under the auspices of Operation Safe Corridor as a non- kinetic operation.
