602 ex-terrorists renounce membership of Boko Haram in Gombe 

At least 602 repentant Boko Haram members on Monday renounced their membership of the terror group and swore Oath of Allegiance to Nigeria.

The ex-insurgents, who had completed a de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme, renounced their membership of the insurgent group at the Malam Sidi Camp in Kwami local government area of Gombe State.

They renounced their membership of Boko Haram before an 11-man quasi-judicial panel headed by Justice Nehizena Afolabi of the Federal High Court, Gombe.

In his address at the forum, the Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor, Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Shafa, said the appearance of the repentant insurgents before the judicial panel was a major requirement before their reintegration into the society.

He said: “The panel is for the clients to appear before it to confess their pasts and renounce their membership of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) as the case may be.

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“And swear Oath of Allegiance to be loyal, discipline and obedient citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and then make the commitment.

“The commitment is that at the end of the programme, where they commit any offence, they stand to forfeit all privileges that they have acquired today and will be liable of offence against the state.”

Shafa revealed that since the commencement of the DRR programme in 2016, 893 ex-terrorists had been admitted into camp while 280 others including two Chadians had been transferred to their various national and state authorities.

The Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said there was already a structure on ground in the state to continue from where the DRR programme stopped.

She said: “We will provide them with psycho-social supports, continue with religious admonition in order to make them good citizens of the country.

“We will also give them starter packs to help them practice the skills that had been acquired in the camp here.”

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