The Federal Government, through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, has explained why 104 ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members were freed.
She said President Muhammadu Buhari granted amnesty to the repentant terrorists “so that they could be assisted in different areas of human development.”
According to a statement by the Assistant Director, Information, Rhoda Ishaku Iliya, the Minister said this when she received the representatives of the Chief of Defence staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishaki, led by the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Maj.-Gen Bamidele Shaffa, in Abuja on Saturday.
Umar-Farouq said in ensuring that the current administration achieve its vision in addressing the insecurity and insurgency challenges facing this nation, the government had given a welcoming hand or an opportunity to repentant Boko Haram members to have a re-think.
“It is a very important programme for the ministry, one of the mandates of the ministry is to focus on the early recovery aspect of the North-East region and one of such components of early recovery is re-integration, rehabilitation of these affected communities and the repentant Boko Haram insurgents,” she added.
The Minister thanked the Operation Safe Corridor for their efforts and initiatives,adding that it would address the challenges of insecurity and “to a very large approached in the de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of these insurgents adding that this strategy is very important especially in the North-East today.