No fewer than 1, 050 members of the terrorists group, Boko Haram, have surrendered to troops in Lake Chad and Monguno general area of operations, the Nigerian Army has said.
Many other insurgents, according to the Army, are still on the run.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, made this known in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Saturday.
He said that 250 fighters of the Al Barnawi-led faction of the insurgents had surrendered to Nigerian Army as a result of artillery and aerial bombardments by troops on their enclaves in Lake Chad basin.
Also, he said, 700 insurgents surrendered to troops at Monguno in an ongoing clearance operation.
He said some other foot soldiers of the terrorists group who escaped have surrendered to Niger Defence Forces.
He announced that one of the factional leaders of the terrorists group, Mamman Nur, sustained fatal injuries while one of his wives was killed in the clearance operation.
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“The insurgents are attempting to melt into communities in and around Kano, Geidam and Gashua axis unnoticed. One of such fleeing commanders is Bana Bafui.
“Members of the general public, particularly in Kano, Geidam, Gashua, Hadejia and northern part of Jigawa State are therefore enjoined to be vigilant, watch out for strange faces in their communities and report same to security agencies,” Nwachukwu said.
The Army spokesman made a call to insurgents to surrender and enjoy the grace the government had offered them in term of the Safe Corridor programme.
His words: “We call on Boko Haram insurgents to abandon the futile struggle; take advantage of the Safe Corridor programme and surrender to troops in any location nearest to them.
“We guarantee their safety and incorporation into the programme for de-radicalisation and rehabilitation.”
