Borno govt denies alleged disbursement of N100,000 each to 601 repentant Boko Haram terrorists

…says it disbursed 20k only in collaboration with NEDC, IOM

SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri

Borno State Government has refuted media reports (not this medium) which allegedly claimed that it disbursed the sum of N100,000 cash each to deradicalized repentant Boko Haram terrorists as gift.

Refuting the reports, the State Commissioner of Information, Home Affairs and Culture, Malam Babakura Jato said the 601 terrorists only received N20,000 each.

The 601 Boko Haram members were recently deradicalized and released by the Operation Safe Corridor to the Borno State Government to be reintegrated into the society and rejoined with their families and relations.

Besides the N20,000 stipends, the commissioner added that basic equipments were also given to enable them practise their various skills of vocational training.

The Commissioner revealed that the funds and starter packs were actually jointly given to the repentant terrorists by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through the state government.

Jato explained further that only about 10 per cent of the 601 repentant terrorists were actually Boko Haram members, the rest he said were victims of circumstances, innocently abducted by the BHTs or suspects arrested by the military as Boko Haram members as well as those conscripted into the Boko Haram group.

Jato said, “They are 601 of them and the question of government giving them N100,000 each does not arise. What happened is that the North East Development Commission gave them starter packs. Some of them trained as barbers, so they were given clippers and generators and then given N20,000 cash and their shops will be paid for.

“What the government will do is that they will be brought to Borno State from Gombe and they will be housed in two orientation camps, where there are facilities for training and for them to practise whatever they were taught in Gombe, ” Jato said.

It would be recalled that the Defence Headquarters has on Saturday announced the deradicalization and release of the 601 ex-Boko Haram terrorists including 14 foreign nationals from Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republics to be reintegrated into the society through their respective national and state authorities.

The Coordinator of the Operation Safe Corridor, Major General Bamidele Shafa disclosed this on Saturday at the DRR Camp in Mallam Sidi, Gombe State the grand ceremony att need by too government officials of the north Eastern states, humanitarian and development partners among others.

Highlights of the occasion include presentations of certificates, gifts, starter packs on various skills acquisition and Vocational training as well as individuals and group photographs.