Military clears 983 Boko Haram suspects in Borno

The Nigerian Army yesterday freed 983 detainees suspected to be Boko Haram members but found to be innocent after investigations.

The freed people were handed over to the Borno State Government for proper reintegration into the society.

Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, disclosed this while handing over the cleared suspects at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Presenting the men to the governor, Adeniyi said they were alleged to have links with the terror group.

He appealed to Governor Babagana Zulum to empower them through training in various trades and vocations to become self-reliant.

While advising those fighting the Nigerian State to surrender, he said anybody who voluntarily dropped his arms will be welcomed back to the society.

He said, “Allow Al- Barnawi and Shekau to die in the desert because their mission to establish a caliphate in Nigeria is impossible. Surrender your arms and repent to come back to society.

“These 983 suspects have been cleared of any wrongdoing, so we are handing them over to the Borno State Government for rehabilitation reintegration.

“We are going to clear the remaining batch as soon as they are cleared by security operatives.”

Responding, Zulum said those freed will be moved to rehabilitation centre where they will be reintegrated through Operation Safe Corridor.

It was gathered that some of those released had been in detention for over three years. and