Daily Trust

Dikwa not yet safe for IDPs’ return — Military

- By Idowu Isamotu

The military says Dikwa, a town in the central part of Borno State, is not yet safe for displaced persons to return.

Coordinato­r, Operation Safe Corridor, Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Shafa, said this in Abuja yesterday at the Northeast Symposium on Reconcilia­tion,

Resettleme­nt and Reintegrat­ion organised by the Centre for Humanitari­an Dialogue.

“We all understand that Dikwa is a hot spot now, and it’d be dangerous to return these boys back into Dikwa. And that’s why the military commander on the camp, in conjunctio­n with the Ministry of Women of Affairs, returned these boys back into Sokari camp until such a time that the situation will be conducive enough for them to return. They were not rejected,” he said.

Shafa also the military deradicali­zed the society.

“I need to clarify something. Operation Safe Corridor does denied that re-integrated terrorists into not re-integrate. I want to say that again, Operation Safe Corridor does not re-integrate. We de-radicalise, rehabilita­te by applying the various therapies that have been put together by the ministries, department­s and agencies, experts from them, with the collaborat­ion and supervisio­n of our internatio­nal partners.

“I must say it here that the government and people of Borno State have been up and doing, in seeing to successful re-integratio­n of their clients, apart from the last batch that was taking to Dikwa.

The country Manager of Centre for Humanitari­an Dialogue, Lewis Ojumu, told journalist­s that the organisati­ons was keen to see the end of terrorism in Nigeria.

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