Military-No Repentant Boko Haram was recruited

The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor said no terrorist was ever recruited into the armed forces or other services and they will never find their way into the military, as another 559 ‘Clients’ are set to graduate DRRR process.

Gen Irabor who was represented by Major Gen Mutiu Adeyemi Yekini, the Chief of Defence Training and Operations disclosed this at the opening ceremony of Operation Safe Corridor Stakeholders Meeting to work out modalities for transferring 559 ‘Rehabilitated Clients’ to their state government authorities, the CDS said, 

“There have been concerns that Operation Safe Corridor graduates are being recruited by the military and Para-military agencies.

There have been built up anxiety amongst some Nigerians that repentant members of the notorious Boko Haram terrorists group may have found their way into the military and Para-Military Services.

However the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor debunked this and allayed the fears of such Nigerians, he said no terrorist was ever recruited into the armed forces or other services.

“I wish to clearly dispute this assertion and reassure Nigerians that none of the over 1,000 rehabilitated Nigerians from OPSC DRR has been recruited and will never be recruited into the Nigerian Military or sister security services due to stringent safeguards in place to prevent such recruitment.

“The programme has so far graduated over 1,000 clients including 16 foreign nationals, who have been successfully reintegrated by their national and state governments.

“A total of 559 new clients are currently going through the DRR Program at the DRR Camp in Gombe State.

The meeting was attended by Representative of Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, Representatives of the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe and the Zamfara States, Representative of the National Security Adviser and Representatives of Heads of Intelligence and Security Agencies among others.

A detailed breakdown of the modus operandi employed to tackle the insurgents was a major highlight.