Following the recent killing of the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau by the Islamic State of West African Province terrorist group and subsequent surrender of thousands of Boko Haram insurgents, ISWAP has started massive recruitment drive.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyeama Nwachukwu, said this on Sunday during a tour at the headquarters of the Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai Maimalari, in Maiduguri, Bornu State.
He urged members of the public to be on the lookout within their immediate environment.
Nwachukwu said, “I will like to mention that the ISWAP, very recently, haven been depleted by the surrendering of their member, as well as and conflict between them. They have embarked on what I will call a massive recruitment drive and I consider it very important to engage the media o block this recruitment.
“The Boko Haram insurgents have been surrendering. People have questioned the authenticity of the surrendering of these insurgents and why they are surrendering at this time.
“There are also the questions on the reintegration of these insurgents. Another question is what the plight of the victims of the insurgency is.
“That is the essence of this tour. The military is not resting on its oars in the fight to end insurgency and insecurity in the country,” Nwachukwu said.
He added that the fight against insurgency had recorded success.
“At some point, the insurgents almost took over the three state capitals of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe in the North-East. Some three years back, Boko Haram was advancing towards the Federal Capital Territory. Today they have been boxed in to the Timbuks,” the Army spokesperson noted.
On his part, the theatre Commander, Theater Command, Operations Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa, said the military was doing all within the international laws in handling the Boko Haram issue.
He said the military ha no power to prosecute the insurgents but to profile and investigate before handing them over to the necessary authorities.