14,500 Boko Haram Members Have Surrendered, Says Presidency

*Says Buhari deserves applause for curbing insecurity

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Presidency has said recent statistics have shown that 14,500 Boko Haram members have voluntarily surrendered due to the endless effort of President Muhammadu Buhari in tackling insecurity in the country.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this Friday in Katsina while presenting a paper titled: ‘Fake news: Challenges of Information Management’, at the 10th year anniversary of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA).

He said: “Recent statistics have shown that over 14,500 Boko haram members have voluntarily surrendered.

“However, the progress made cannot be denied. In the face of rising crime and insecurity, the government’s new community policing initiative was launched.

“Some 10,000 new constables were recruited and the process is on for another 10,000 to be recruited from the areas they will safeguard as opposed to past practice.”

He added, “The government hopes this will bring policing closer to local communities. N13 billion was earmarked for the initial initiative. Going by the plan, every year will see an additional 10,000 policemen”.

Shehu explained that President Buhari deserves credit for his efforts in curbing the age-long farmers/herders crisis in the country.

He reiterated that threat to civilians and peaceful co-existence between different ethnic and religious groups from farmer-herders clashes, banditry and land disputes were of serious concern to President Buhari-led government.

According to him, Buhari’s administration is the only government of Nigeria that has put forward a workable solution to the herder-farmer challenge in all the years since independence.

“It is incorrect, however, to assert that the government has or is doing nothing to address the threats.

“Firstly, there are ongoing efforts for the establishment of cattle ranches to prevent or curtail open grazing, the practice that brings herders and farmers into conflict”, he added.

In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi, said it was not an easy task to develop an institution from scratch to its present level.

He, however, vowed to bring more developmental projects to the university for effective and efficient learning to thrive in the institution.