Top Boko Haram/ISWAP fighter, Wife, Children surrenders
A top fighter (name withheld) of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP); has surrendered to Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), while conducting artillery and air interdiction in Lake Chad Basin.
The counter-insurgency operations; were executed in conjunction with national Armed Forces of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria in Lake Chad region.
Spokesman of task force, Col. Timothy Antigha in a statement Sunday in Maiduguri disclosed: “The strategic partners have continued to yield positive results in the ongoing war against terrorism with surrender of Jihadists top war commander in region.”
He said the surrendered commander, abandoned his group, including arms and escaped along with his wife and children.
“We cannot disclose the location or area of surrender for security reasons,” he warned.
He said with the surrender of top fighter; turned a defector, has voluntarily denounced ISWAP/Boko Haram to troops of MNJTF.
He said that the surrendered terrorist had joined ISWAP / Boko Haram in 2015 and took part in terrorist operations in Arege, Kangarwa, Metele and Mallam Fatori.
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On what informed him to defector and surrender to troops, he said:“There were constant artillery and air bombardments that greatly affected our plans and dampened our morale to fight in the bush and lake.
“More fighters are ready to surrender, but they are uncertain of what fate awaits them.”
Asked what the personal motivations to surrender are, he however; said: “I am not sure if our spiritual direction is correct.”
Antigha further disclosed that last March, a group of ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists were surrounded in Sector 4 in Diffa province of Niger.
He said that within the same period, some terrorists also capitulated and surrendered to troops of Sector 1 in Mora, Cameroon and is currently being rehabilitated.
He added that Boko Haram defectors from Sector 3 in Nigeria are also being rehabilitated through Operation Safe Corridor at Gombe state.
He stressed that while MNJTF will continue to intensify the tempo of its kinetic operations on all fronts, it encourages more terrorists to reject terrorism and abandon the needless killing of innocent civilians.
He further encouraged the terrorists “to seek redemption within the structures provided for rehabilitation within the different jurisdictions”.
