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| Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima |
By: Michael Olugbode
Twenty pardoned family members of suspected Boko Haram
insurgents were yesterday handed over to the Borno State Governor, Alhaji
Kashim Shettima by the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Restore Order in
Maiduguri as part of the amnesty plan of President Goodluck Jonathan to the
dreaded terrorist sect.
This was in response to an order of the President and the
first phase of the programme, expected to be an ongoing exercise.
The freed detainees include six women and 14 boys (age
between 9 and 14 years) were handed over to the governor by the JTF at the Government
House Council Chambers. They are expected to be handed over to their families
for rehabilitation and reintegration.
In a speech before the handover, the spokesman of the JTF,
Lt. Col Sagir Musa, who was in the company of the Brigade Commander, 21 Brigade
Maiduguri, Brig. Gen. Bamigboye said, on behalf of the Chief of Defence
Staff, Admiral Saad Ibrahim “We are
handing over the six women and 14 boys arrested so that they could be
rehabilitated and reintegrated to become good citizens.”
Responding, Governor Kashim Shettima said, "We most
sincerely thank Mr. President for his magnanimity. This marks a milestone in
our quest for peace and to restore normalcy."
"We will do our part by ensuring that they are
integrated into the larger society after rehabilitation to become better
citizens. The Federal Government has shown commitment by releasing the wives
and children of Boko Haram sect members under detention. We would admit the
women into our development centres for rehabilitation while we are going to
hand over the children to the ministry of women affairs and advertise for their
parents to come and receive them after they might have written an undertaking
to enroll them in schools," Shettima said.
The governor also said each parent that ensured her ward
remains in school for 30 days would get N10,000 monthly.
He also urged the women to turn a new leaf and not to walk
back to the wrong alley, while commending the security for keeping the
detainees hale and hearty.
Responding to questions from journalists, some of the
pardoned children revealed that their masters (sect members) have been using
them mainly to gather information, especially to bring report on troop movement
and behaviour of soldiers at duty post.
One of them said: "We watch out for the soldiers at
their unit and report back to our bosses. We were reporting when soldiers are
at ease or enjoying themselves and off guard, we equally report any large money
movement to our bosses for their action."
He said that their bosses always attack the soldiers after
learning that they were off-guard and that those with large amount of money,
especially the traders were robbed.
The teenage boys also revealed that they were involved in
razing some schools in Maiduguri, "We were given a keg of petrol by our
bosses to set some schools ablaze within Maiduguri."
According to them, whenever they were sent on such errands,
they were paid N5,000. They, however, said after they were arrested and
interrogated by the men of the JTF, they volunteered information that led to
the arrest or killing of their masters in gun battles.
In another development 17 women and 21 children have also been
released to the Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam by the JTF in Damaturu .
Governor Gaidam promised to train them to acquire skills so
they would become useful citizens in the future.
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