The army authorities who did not give the extent of involvement of the released persons in the insurgency added that the exercise was part of the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North-East.
The Nigerian Army has confirmed that it released 1,009 persons who were implicated in the Boko Haram insurgency war, but denied that they were ex-fighters of the sect.
The army authorities who did not give the extent of involvement of the released persons in the insurgency added that the exercise was part of the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North-East.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Onyema Nwahuckwu, stated this on Thursday while reacting to the release of the 1009 former fighters as reported by SaharaReporters and other outlets.
Nwachukwu said, “It is an indisputable fact that the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North-East has led to the arrest of several terrorism/insurgency suspects.
“These suspects have been held in custody, while undergoing profiling and further investigations by experts from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC) and those who are found culpable are usually handed over to prosecuting agencies accordingly, while those who are not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are cleared and released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society.
“These cleared suspects are therefore not ex Boko Haram fighters, as peddled in the reports. A total of 1009 cleared suspects, not ex fighters, were therefore released after this rigorous process on Wednesday.
“It is also necessary to categorically state that the handing over of the cleared suspects was not shrouded in secrecy as it was witnessed by United Nations Humanitarian and government agencies, in tandem with global best practice.”