The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has said that the government has so far recorded 30,000 surrendered members of the Boko Haram group as well as the Islamic State for West African Province since September 2021. This is as he revealed that the “defections” are not based on government-based incentives as his administration is not issuing any promissory notes to the terrorists; as a bargaining chip.
Zulum also assured Nigerians that the 12-year Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast will be over before the 2023 general elections. The governor revealed these to State House Correspondents on Thursday shortly after a meeting with President Buhari at the State House.
He said, “The ongoing, massive defection of Boko Haram members, this time around, has also started with a defection of ISWAP members. This is a welcome development. As of now we, have received nothing less than 30,000 from beginning to date for both Boko Haram and ISWAP. ISWAP, we have started receiving them in few numbers, but Boko Haram, we have started receiving them in huge numbers. The way we are going, with the support of the federal government with good management, Boko Haram will be over very soon. The most important thing is that the federal government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Buhari, the Borno State Government, the military, we’re all working in close collaboration to ensure that those that are willing to surrender are given the opportunity to surrender. We don’t give any promissory notes to defectors, honestly speaking. As I’ve been saying before, the kinetic measures alone will never end the insurgency. The social and political dimension of this crisis is very important. So we have decided to engage them through dialogue and mediation, to ensure that many of them lay their arms. But you also have to understand one essential thing; there is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have surrendered. People should understand these two unidentical situations. Go back and Google and see the international conventions, rules and regulations. There is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have willingly surrendered,”