Death of 200 Terrorists Forces 1,250 Boko Haram Members, Families to Surrender to Troops

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

At least 1,250 fleeing Boko Haram fighters and families surrendered to troops in the North-east in the last seven days following deadly clashes with rival terror group, the Islamic State for the West African Province (ISWAP) that claimed over 200 lives.

ISWAP terrorists had carried out reprisal attacks on Boko Haram fighters on February 26 and 27, 2023 in Gaizuwa, Mantari, Gabchari, Kashimiri and Maimusari in Bama in  Borno State.

The ISWAP group successfully dislodged Boko Haram, killing scores of fighters and forced survivors to flee their camps with their families.

A top military source said the fleeing terrorists in Yale in Konduga and Choliye in Gudumbali LGA and neutrialised more than 200 of the insurgents.

Terror group, ISWAP, had stormed other hideouts in Asinari, Ashanari and Masarmari area in Konduga on March 1, 2023 and killed  scores of other fighters.

The source explained that the sustained clash of the groups triggered massive surrendering of the militants in Mafa, Konduga and Bama Local Government Areas.

“The militants surrendered because of the fear that they will be neutrialised by either the super tukanos (fighter jets) of the military or ISWAP rival faction.

“There was no hiding place anymore for them. If they stay in an open ground, they will be killed by troops and if they attempt to cross over to the ISWAP strongholds in Northern Borno, they will get killed too,” the source said.

The source said following the combined pressure, the terrorists and families were forced to surrender.

“So far, we have received 1,250 fighters and their families within one week. This overwhelming number was the highest we have received at a very short period of time in different parts of the theatre.

“The surrendered suspects, who also came out with about 1,000 livestock, confessed that the ISWAP were after their lives as they do not spare women and children. Among those who surrendered were women, who had been enslaved by, conscripted by or minors born to the insurgents,” he said.

Military sources said profiling of the surrendered terrorists was ongoing, after which they would be handed over to the appropriate agencies for further rehabilitation.

Over 100,000 fighters and family members, along with their captives, have left Boko Haram.

The largest wave of defections by terror group was attributed to the death of Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s leader, who blew himself up in May 2021, during a rival clash with ISWAP.