80,000 Boko Haram ex-fighters are in our custody – Major General Musa

The Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Chris Musa, on Saturday said about 80,000 ex-Boko Haram terrorists are in military custody.

The theatre commander made the disclosure in an interview on Channels Forum, a special programme to mark Nigeria’s 62nd Independence anniversary.

“80,000 now,” he said in response to the number of Boko Haram ex-fighters and their family members that have surrendered and are in military custody.

According to him, the figure, is 30,000 more than the initial 50,000 former insurgents that gave up their arms to turn a new leaf last year.

“The strategy now is an all-government activity, the military, Operation Hadin Kai working together with the state government,” Musa stated.

“When the terrorist comes out from the bush, he reports to the closet unit. The commander takes him with his men, and then he is profiled and disarmed.

“The state government provides the transport that take them into Maiduguri where we have three camps. The fourth camp is being constructed. We are not the ones directly in charge of the administration and management. The state government takes care of all of them.”

On Chibok, a Christian community in Borno State, where Boko Haram terrorists stormed a secondary school in the area, and abducted at least 276 schoolgirls while the students were writing their final examinations, Major General Musa said the military, in collaboration with other security agencies, has liberated the community from the insurgents.

He explained that about 97 schoolgirls are still missing, with efforts in top gear to rescue them.

“Chibok is back freely, Chibok is free. People are back to their farms and we are sure of getting a bumper harvest this time around.

“This year we have been able to rescue about 10 Chibok girls. We are making sure that we put in much effort to recover all the girls. As of the last count, we have about 98 of them. With the last one, there are 97 still unaccounted for. Sure with our operations, we are going to get those ones we can get out,” he added.

With Channels Television report