Forty-three Boko Haram insurgents who recently surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole were on Saturday airlifted to join other surrendered insurgents in Gombe “where they are to immediately commence a de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programme under the auspices of Operation Safe Corridor.”

Deputy Director Public Relations Theatre Command, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Maiduguri.

He said that speaking while handing over the surrendered insurgents to Operation Safe Corridor, the Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, gave assurance that the penitent insurgents will be given a new lease of life as they commence their journey back into the civil society through the de-radicalisation and rehabilitation processes. General Attahiru reportedly urged them further to embrace and undertake the programme whole heartedly to enable them benefit and positively reorient their views about life and the society in general.

Over 70 Boko Haram insurgents had earlier this month surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North East, thus taking advantage of the window of grace provided by the Federal Government for insurgents who are willing to give up terrorism and turn a new leaf to surrender to any military location closest to them.

General Attahiru called on all other insurgents to “abandon the futile struggle and reject the hypocrisy of the Boko Haram leadership who live in affluence, while their foot soldiers die in hunger.”