No fewer than 443 repentant Boko Haram terrorists and their families surrendered to the Nigerian Army in Borno State.
The renunciation followed their escape from the one-week massive attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the state. A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed, yesterday in Maiduguri that the rivalry clashes raised the death toll to 300 among the two terror groups.
According to him, 223 Boko Haram terrorists and families surrendered to the troops of Sector Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) between March 7 to 10, 2023 in Diffa and Gueskerou in Niger.
Besides, he added: “220 Boko Haram members also surrendered to the troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) on March 10, 2023.
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“The terrorists confessed that the ongoing rivalry between the two factions had forced them to escape to safer areas.”
Since February 27, 2023, Boko Haram had been fleeing their enclaves amidst deadly attacks targeted at the groups at Gaizuwa, in the Mantari-Gabchari-Kashimiri-Maimusari axis of Bama Local Council.
Makama further disclosed that other Boko Haram hideouts included Yale axis in Konduga and Magumeri Local Councils of the state.
He noted that the Government of Niger through its Public Relations Information Directorate, said: “This week was marked by massive displacement of terrorists’ families by relocating from the Sambisa Forest to Lake Chad region, bordering Niger Republic.
The Director, Defense Media Operations of Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, Maj-Gen. Musa Danmadami, stated that 1, 332 terrorists and their family members surrendered in the last two weeks to the Army.
He attributed the increasing surrenders to continuous deadly rivalry between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terror groups.
He noted that the continuous rivalry between the terror groups could shape the dynamics of the counter-insurgency operations in the Lake Chad region.
