Army debunk secret release of captured 1009 Boko Haram terrorists, as controversy over FG’s media directive on insecurity reports rages

Authorities of the Nigerian Army at the weekend clarified the profiling of captured Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast after detailed investigations and the separation of the indicted terrorists from others. The Nigerian Army, therefore, disputed reports that the institution freed or handed over 1009 Boko Haram terrorists to the Borno State government for reintegration into the society.

This revelation was made amidst the controversies over the directive of the federal government through the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to radio and television stations across the country to play down media reports on insecurity in the country, essentially, the activities of bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram terrorists, and others.

The Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu, clarified that arrested Boko Haram terrorists are kept in the custody of the force, and investigated by experts. He narrated that those indicted of terrorism are sent to the appropriate authorities for prosecution, while those not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society.

Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, declared that the media report indicating that the Nigerian Army handed over 1009 arrested Boko Haram terrorists to the Borno State government is false. The report was said to have indicated that the release was shrouded in secrecy.

Brigadier Nwachukwu protested that this is one of the plots to diminish the morale of the troops and denigrate the Nigerian Army, through unsubstantiated reports and misinformation.

Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu, therefore, declared that to set the records straight, the army admitted:

“It is an indisputable fact that the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations in the Northeast has led to the arrest of several Terrorists.

“And those suspects have been held in custody while undergoing profiling and further investigations by experts from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC).” The Army Spokesman maintained that “those who are found culpable are usually handed over to prosecuting agencies accordingly, while those who are not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are cleared and released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society.”

Brigadier Nwachukwu argued that the cleared Boko Haram terrorists, were not Boko Haram members, as indicated in the online publication as the publishers would want to impress on the public.

Brigadier Onyema Nwachukwu acknowledged that the 1009 cleared suspects were not Boko Haram terrorists and were released after a rigorous process on Wednesday, 14 July 2021.

The Army Public Affairs Director maintained that the handing over of the cleared suspects was not shrouded in secrecy, noting that  it was observed by the United Nations Humanitarian and government agencies, in compliance with global best practice.

The Nigerian Army, therefore, appealed to the general public to discountenance the misinformation, noting that “it is evidently a manipulation and distortion of the truth and reality of the event.”