By PAUL ADAJI, Abuja –
The Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF), said on Saturday the war against terrorism in the Lake Chad Area had continued to yield positive outcomes.
It said a top terrorist fighter abandoned the armed group at the weekend and escaped with his wife and child to a location, “which can not be disclosed for security reasons.”
The MNJTF, in conjunction with national operations in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, as well as strategic partners are currently carrying out coordinated and targeted artillery and air interdiction on ISWAP /Boko Haram enclave in the recesses of the Lake Chad Basin.
Colonel Timothy Antigha, Chief of Military Public Information of MNJTF, who made this known in a statement in N’Djamena, Chad, said “the defector voluntarily denounced ISWAP / Boko Haram and surrendered to troops of the MNJTF.”
According to the statement, the defector “disclosed that he joined ISWAP / Boko Haram in 2015 and took part in terrorist operations in Arege, Kangarwa, Metele and Mallam Fatori.”
It said that while responding to questions about his decision to surrender, the defector said: “Constant artillery and air bombardments have greatly affected our plans and dampened our morale.”
“More fighters are ready to surrender, but they are uncertain of what fate awaits them,” the defector continuing.
Pressed for more answers on his personal motivation, he said, “I am not sure if our spiritual direction is correct”. (All attributions were interpreted into English).
In March this year, a group of ISWAP / Boko Haram Terrorists surrounded in Sector Four in Diffa, Niger Republic. Similarly, within the same period, some terrorists also capitulated and surrendered to troops of Sector One in Mora, Cameroon and are currently being rehabilitated. Boko Haram defectors in Sector Three (Nigeria) are also being rehabilitated through Operation SAFE CORRIDOR.
“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. They are further encouraged to seek redemption within the structures provided for rehabilitation within the different jurisdictions,” Colonel Antigha said.
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