By YAKUBU UBA

The Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force, “Operations Hadin Kai”, Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, has said that the number of insurgents who have surrendered to the government has now reached 17,000.

Musa made this known on Friday in Maiduguri during a courtesy call on the management of North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Musa said those that surrendered comprised combatants, non combatants, those conscripted against their wish and family members.

Musa said the growing number of those surrendering as the military continue to profile them warranted the need for the intervention of the NEDC in their maintenance.

He noted that the development was a positive one that remains a source of concern for members of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), who have started panicking as their hope to inherit Boko Haram fighters has boomeranged.

Musa said that the disturbed ISWAP group had even set up a task force to stop the trend of surrendering, adding that the way the surrendered are manage would ginger more still in the bush to come out.

“From the Presidency, Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, everyone is putting hands on deck to see that the menace is ended, and we have peace in the North East.

“We know that if we have peace in north east it will transcend to other regions,” Musa said.

He lauded the intervention of the NEDC in areas of humanitarian and infrastructure support in the region and urged it to extend its intervention to the military, particularly, in the rehabilitation of structures and roads to facilitate movement.

Responding, the Managing Director of NEDC, Mr Mohammed Alkali, lauded the effective role of the military in restoring peace in the region, adding that the improvement in security in north east has enabled the commission to embark on various projects and other non-kinetic support in recovered areas.

Alkali who assured the military of continuous collaboration and support, urged them to sustain the tempo at this critical time of closure of camps in Maiduguri and resettlement of displaced persons back to their ancestral homes. (NAN)

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