… 1,300 Boko Haram members surrender to MNJTF
Lake Chad Basin Commission and Multinational Joint Task Force Mission is to set up an FM radio station for counter-insurgency propaganda and de-radicalisation in the region.
The Executive Secretary and Head of Mission of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), SanusiAbdullahi, announced this weekend in Abuja.
Abdullahiwho spoke at a meeting of Ministers of Defence of member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), which rounds off a 4-day conference of the commission in Nigeria, said as at the end of January, the mission received 1,300 members of the Boko Haram terrorist group, who voluntarily surrendered.
“In this regard, the LCBC/MNJTF mission is to launch an FM radio frequency for counter propaganda and de-radicalisation targeted at the North-East of Nigeria, Lac and Hajjar-Lamis region of Chad, Far-North of Cameroon and Diffa and Zinder regions of Niger republic.
“Willing Boko Haram elements will be assisted to surrender and given all necessary support and guarantee of protection,” he said.
He noted that what was most critical now in the war against insurgency was how to source financial resources to address the humanitarian needs arising from the war.
He also said that there was need now to commence incrementally and later holistically, addressing the challenges of rebuilding peace, restoration of confidence in the people who had suffered the consequences of the war.
“We should not only win the war but win the peace as the most desirable and sustainable means for security in the sub-region,” he said.
According to him, in spite of the huge feat achieved by the military, there is the need for more sustained efforts and concerted action to ensure that we do not only win the war but the peace as well.
He said in that wise, the civilian component of the society must be mobilised to key into “this last stage of the war against terrorists”.
The executive secretary said that although the terrorists had been denied of their “safe havens’’ and were on the run, they may sneak to live in “our midst.’’
“This is the only way that the ongoing war against the terrorists can be safely put behind us and peace restored across our sub-region,’’ he said.
He expressed happiness that the region was moving toward the end of the “dark tunnel, ending the horrific and devastating consequences’’ of the insurgency.
Abdullahi, however, said that attention “must now necessarily and urgently shift to the “root causes and drivers of poverty, violence and intolerance’’ in the area.
He noted that the LCBC/MNJTF mission was now a success story applauded by the United Nations, AU commission and international community.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, called for good governance, justice and fairness, among member countries, saying that this could considerably scale down threat to peace and acts of aggression.
Dan-Ali, however, noted that reasons for terrorism varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but urged foreign partners to continue to support the region to wipe out terror.
