The Nigerian Military on Nov. 24 received six Boko Haram deserters and recovered several AK type rifles from the group.
HumAngle understands that the group of six Boko Haram defectors fled from Sambisa general area and surrendered to troops of the 192 Battalion stationed along the Gwoza – Liman Mara road in Nigeria’s Northeastern State of Borno.
The group joined thousands of persons associated with Boko Haram that have surrendered to state authorities. So far, Over 15, 000 persons associated with Boko Haram have surrendered to authorities.
In Oct, the Nigerian Military reported that 13,243 combatants and members of their families consisting of 3,243 males, 3,868 females and 6,234 children had surrendered to troops.
While speaking at Nigeria International Partnership Forum in Paris, France in November, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Mongono, disclosed that more than 15,000 Boko Haram terrorists had surrendered to troops from their enclave, Sambisa.
“In recent months, there has been an endless mass surrender of terrorists and their sympathizers in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, Currently, over 15,000 people have been received” Moguno was quoted to have said.
Map of the Nigeria – Cameroon border region showing the spatial relationship between Boko Haram hideout areas and the Nigerian state forces installations. Credit: Mansir Muhammed/
HumAngle in September, mapped the journey of defectors as they navigate through water bodies and vegetation while at the same time evading interception from hostile insurgents.
The mass defections towards Konduga, Bama, Gwoza, and Mafa Local Government Areas (LGAs) are part of the aftershocks of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) incursion into the Boko Haram enclave of Sambisa and the subsequent death of its leader Abubakar Shekau, and ISWAP attempts to absorb the group.
The scale of the defections is expected to put a strain on the existing system established to manage persons associated with terrorism. Similarly, defectors face risks of interception by rival insurgents.
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