March 11, 2022

The Borno Government says more insurgents are laying down their arms because authorities adopted a non-kinetic warfare.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, retired Brig.-Gen. Abdullahi Ishaq, made this known in Maiduguri while speaking on the Borno Model in ending the insurgency through non kinetic approach at a stakeholders dialogue on enhancing peace and security in Borno.

Ishaq who also delivered a paper detailing how the over 35,000 Boko Haram who surrendered were being managed, said the non-kinetic approach adopted by “Operation Hadin Kai” of the Nigeria Military Command and Control Centre played an immense role that led to the mass surrender.

He said the repentant Boko Haram members would not harm anyone because they were not forced to repent.

While noting that the non-kinetic approach adopted in the counter-insurgency effort woos more insurgents to repentance.

“Another good thing about this non kinetic approach we call the Borno Model is that the rate of attack and kidnapping on the Maiduguri-Damaturu road and the Maiduguri-Monguno road has reduced drastically.

“Farming activities have also resumed and farmers are harvesting their crops with less tension,” he said.

Ishaq noted during the peak of the insurgency, many women including nursing mothers and pregnant women as well as Quranic pupils (Almajiri) and their teachers, particularly in Bama and Dikwa local governments were abducted and taken to the bush by the insurgents who occupied the areas.

He lauded one of the repentant Boko-Haram member identified as Modo, who he said was key in mobilising others to surrender by leading the first group of 37 fighters to surrender in Bama Local Government.

“Modu, who is from Dikwa, was an undergraduate a university. He lost his father and came for the seventh-day prayer, after the prayer on his way back he was captured in Mafa and taken to the bush; that was how Modu became Boko haram member.

“He is among the 500 repentant Boko Haram members so far reintegrated. Six of them are working with the military in rural areas providing credible information and reaching out to others in the bush to also surrender,” he said.

While lauding all stakeholders for the support to the non kinetic approach, particularly the military and other security agencies committed to end the insurgency, Ishaq urged the public for maximum support to achieved sustainable peace for development.

He also lauded International organisations like World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) for their support in areas of healthcare to victims of insurgency, particularly women and children.

The dialogue was organised by an NGO, Peace Ambassadors Centre for Humanitarian Aid and Empowerment (PACHE) in collaboration with British Council under it Managing Conflict in Nigeria (MCN) programme. (NAN)