By Auwal Ahmad Gombe About 52 Boko Haram terrorists, who laid down their arms, are now undergoing de-radicalisation and rehabilitation in Gombe state. Th e insurgents, under the Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) put in place by the federal government, were conveyed in a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 jet marked NAF913. On arrival at the rehabilitation camp, they were made to undergo a screening and documentation exercises, which consisted of the “fi lling of a consent and enrolment forms as well as medical fi tness test before being properly admitted into the camp”. In his remark at the event, Coordinator of the OPSC, Major-General Bamidele Shafa, congratulated the Boko Haram members for choosing to lay down their arms.
He urged them to take advantage of the window of opportunity provided at the camp to become better citizens while also advising them to be disciplined and conduct themselves according to the rules, regulations of the camp. He said, while at the camp, the ex-combatants would be exposed to various programmes geared towards making them better citizens, imbued with genuine nationalism. Shafa disclosed that already, a pilot batch of six ex-combatants, graduated from the camp last June “with some abductees and ex-combatants having undergone extensive therapies in spiritual counseling, psychotherapy and drug abuse intervention.”
Th e coordinator disclosed further that they were also introduced to “various vocations, western education, arts, social works and sports” before being resettled in their original place of residence to continue with the reintegration programme. He called on the other Boko Haram members still fi ghting in the bush to take opportunity of the window, to surrender their arms, and to become better citizens. “Th is is a clarion call and a corridor of opportunity to remaining insurgents that are still in the bush to heed. “Th e federal government has made arrangements for the reintegration of all surrendered insurgents, as you can see the comfortable condition of this facility, compared to the horrible condition of those that are still fi ghting in the bush. A word is enough for the wise,” he said.
