By Okodili Ndidi, Abuja
The Nigerian Army has denied the 1009 suspects released after the investigation were linked to the Boko Haram terror group.
The Director Army Public Relations Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said the suspects were cleared after rigorous investigation.
Nwachukwu, in a statement, said the release of the suspects was monitored by the United Nations and government agencies in line with global best practices.
The Army was reacting to reports that 1009 ex-Boko Haram fighters were released from custody and handed over to the Borno government.
It said: “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of a media publication alleging that the NA has handed over 1009 Ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno government.
“The report also alleged the event was shrouded in secrecy. This report is obviously one of those attempts to dampen troops’ morale and denigrate the NA, riding on the back of unsubstantiated reports and misinformation.
“While the NA would not want to join issues with the masterminds of this false narrative, it is important to set the records straight”.
It added: “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.
READ ALSO: ‘Boko Haram killed my husband before me’
‘’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 said online report and as the masterminds would want to impress on the public.
‘’A total of 1009 cleared suspects, not ex-fighters, were therefore released after this rigorous process on Wednesday 14 July 2021.
‘’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.
“The NA, therefore, urges the general public to discountenance this misinformation, as it is evidently a manipulation and distortion of the truth and reality of the event”.
Leave a Reply