A TOTAL of 129,417 Boko Haram terrorists and their family members surrendered to troops between July 10 to December 9, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa has said.
Musa made this disclosure while delivering a keynote lecture titled “The Nexus between Citizen’s Socio-economic Development and National Defence” at the ongoing Africa Security Watch awards and conference in Doha, Qatar.
Giving a breakdown of the figures, Musa said 30,426 were fighters, 36,774 women and 62,265 children.
He said the country was making progress towards an increasingly peaceful society that promotes socio-economic development.
The CDS attributed the surge in terrorist surrenders to the effective integration of kinetic and non-kinetic approaches by the armed forces, which according to him, has stabilised communities and created an environment conducive to socio-economic progress.
“The increasingly frequent surrenders signify the fruitful impact of our comprehensive approach. We have made significant progress in fostering a peaceful society that guarantees improved socio-economic conditions for our citizens. While challenges remain, we are not where we were as of June 2023,” he said.
The military general said the Armed Forces of Nigeria has contributed to boosting daily oil production, reducing attacks on vulnerable communities and enhancing stability through innovative operational strategies.
These achievements, he explained, stemmed from a recalibration of tactics, techniques, and procedures that ensure both kinetic operations and people-centred initiatives work in tandem.
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, provided an overview of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts in his presentation, “The Trajectory of counter-terrorism fight: The Nigerian experience” revealing that the prosecution of terrorists has advanced, with five phases of trials yielding 505 convictions, while the sixth phase is currently underway.
Laka’s lecture which was delivered by former Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman (rtd), described the country’s journey as one of resilience, adaptation, and significant progress amidst persistent challenges.
Speaking on “leadership as an agent of positive change in security”, former Chief of the Naval Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd), emphasised the critical role of purposeful and compassionate leadership.
“A leader driven by a genuine sense of purpose fosters trust and inspires personnel to see the broader impact of their daily actions on peace and security,” he said.
As CNS, Gambo said his tenure focused on personnel welfare and collective strength which yielded transformative results in naval operations and contributed significantly to national security.