By Olayemi Esan
The Nigerian Army says all surrendered terrorists will be received, processed and passed on to the relevant government agencies for further assessment in line with extant provisions.
Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu revealed this when reacting to some online news medium publication that said Army will free two senior Boko Haram Bomb experts after rehabilitation.
Nwachukwu described that the authors deliberately misrepresented the facts contained in that report and twisted it to suit whatever purpose they seek to achieve.
He noted that while the Nigerian Army does not want to be distracted from its main focus of dealing decisively with the threats against peace-loving Nigerians as it has become necessary to put issues in their right perspectives.
"It is a known fact that in the recent past, over 1,000 members of Boko Haram and their families have surrendered to the troops due to the intense pressure from troops' sustained offensive actions.
"Among those were key leaders of the terrorists group who have renounced their membership and have turned themselves in," he said.
The army spokesperson however added, that the Nigerian Army being a professional military organisation will continue to act in accordance with the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution, as well as international best practices.
Nwachukwu clarified that the Nigerian Army will never encourage any act of lawlessness or extra judicial killings.
He said, the ongoing Operation Safe Corridor is an outfit established by the Federal Government and not the Nigerian Army.
"As such, it is absolutely wrong to say that the Nigerian Army will free repentant terrorists", he declared.
The Nigerian Army also wants Nigerians to disregard the deliberate distortion of facts by these online mediums and continue to support the Nigerian Army in order to rid the country of terrorism and other forms of insecurity.
The Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has reiterated his admonition to all terrorists groups operating in the country to abandon their illegitimate cause and surrender to troops.
