……….in Borno
At least 1,250 fleeing Boko Haram fighters and families have surrendered to Nigerian troops in the country’s North East in the last seven days.
This was as a result deadly clashes with the rival Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) that claimed over 200 lives.
The ISWAP terrorists carried out reprisal attacks on Boko Haram fighters on February 26 and 27, 2023 in Gaizuwa, Mantari, Gabchari, Kashimiri and Maimusari in Bama, North East Borno state.
The ISWAP group successfully dislodged the Boko Haram, killing many of them and forcing survivors to flee their camps together with their families.
A top Military sources disclosed that the ISWAP group intercepted the fleeing terrorists in Yale in Konduga and Choliye in Gudumbali LGA and killed more than 200 of them.
The ISWAP stormed another hideout in Asinari, Ashanari and Masarmari area in Konduga on March 1, 2023 and killed another scores of the Boko Haram fighters.
The sources explained that the sustained inter-rivalry clash of the groups, triggered massive surrendering of the militants in Mafa, Konduga and Bama Local Government Areas.
He said: “The militants surrendered because of the fear that they will be neutralised by either the Super Tukano’s of the ISWAP rival faction. There was no hiding place anymore.
He said: “So far, we have received 1,250 fighters and their families within one week. This number was the highest we have received at a very short period of time in different parts of the theater.
“The surrendered suspects who also came out with about 1,000 livestock, confessed that the ISWAP were after their lives as they do not spear women and children.
“Among those who surrendered were women who had been enslaved by, conscripted by or minors born to the insurgents,” he said.
The military sources said profiling of the surrendered terrorists is ongoing, after which the individuals will be handed over to the appropriate agencies for further rehabilitation.
Recalled that the military authority said as many as 100,000 fighters and family members, along with their captives, have left Boko Haram.
The largest wave of defections by terror group was attributed to the death of Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s leader, who blew himself up in May 2021, during a rival clash with ISWAP. By: Zagazola Makama
