The Nigerian army has announced the rehabilitation of hundreds of surrendered Boko Haram fighters with a camp to that effect to open later this month.
This announcement was made by Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, spokesman for the Defence Headquarters last friday.
According to the Brigadier General, “The establishment of the camp is in line with best global practices, to rehabilitate those fighters who surrendered or are captured in a war situation. Abubakar said. “It is going to be a huge exercise,” adding that the camp was expected to “empower, deradicalise, retrain and reintegrate” Boko Haram fighters who have laid down their arms.
Not revealing where the camp would be located,Abubakar said the military will hold a press conference next Tuesday to give more details on the situation. He however averred that more than 800 fighters were expected to receive rehabilitation and skills training in the camp and launched a fresh appeal to Boko Haram militants still fighting to lay down their arms and rejoin society.
An estimated 20,000 people have been killed since Boko Haram began its campaign of violence in 2009 to carve out a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.
More than 2.6 million people have fled their homes since, but some of the internally displaced have recently begun returning after the Nigerian military captured swathes of territory back from the insurgents.