The Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force, Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf, has assured Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, who recently surrendered of humane treatment.
Yusuf made the assurance during an interaction with the former fighters in Mora, Extreme in the Northern region of Cameroon.
Addressing the former fighters, the Force Commander, who spoke in Hausa, told them that the entire Boko Haram /ISWAP idea is misplaced and orchestrated by a few misguided individuals, who desire to inflict suffering on millions of people in the Lake Chad Basin for their own selfish and personal interests.
He urged them to encourage their former colleagues and friends still in the bush to come out and surrender.
He informed them that countries affected by the Boko Haram insurgency have developed their respective Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Resettlement programs to address the peculiar challenges introduced by the Boko Haram Insurgency.
In his reaction, the spokesperson for the group (name withheld), commended MNJTF authorities for accommodating and catering for them and their families.
The spokesperson noted that contrary to a widely held opinion that fighters, who surrendered were being killed, members of his group were safe.
According to the representative, their commanders told them that they will be killed if they surrendered.
“Our commanders told us that we would be killed if we surrender, but here we are being treated like human beings,” the spokesperson said.
The representative expressed regret over the atrocities that they were misled into committing and prayed for forgiveness.
The Force Commander also used the opportunity to operationalise the European Union-funded direct supply of petroleum, oil and lubricants to Sector 1 of the MNJTF.
Recall that a fortnight ago, the MNJTF launched the programme in Sector 4 Diffa (Niger Republic).
