'Army not recruiting ex-Boko Haram members,' says Group

A civil society organisation, Coalition for Human Rights Monitoring Groups in Nigeria, has dismissed speculation that the Nigerian military recruited repentant Boko Haram terrorists into its fold.

The human rights group made the disclosure in a special report after embarking on a thorough investigation of the military's recruitment process since 2015.

In the report signed by Helen Adeshina and Bitrus Hosea Damut, the group said 250 repentant Boko Haram fighters enrolled for the de-radicalisation programme and were reabsorbed into their communities and not the military.

It further disclosed that 30 of the repentant Boko Haram fighters are fully engaged in religious activities aimed at discouraging the youths from going into crime and terrorist activities.

According to the group, the military's recruitment process is transparent and devoid of interference from any quarters and as such there isn't any room for ex-Boko Haram members.

The coalition, however, urged the military to begin the process of informing the general public of its recruitment process.

"There have been concerns that Boko Haram terrorists, who surrendered to troops and undergone de-radicalisation programmes organised by the Nigerian Military, were allegedly being absorbed into the Military. Some media reports have also alleged that the Military was recycling insurgency by the alleged recruitment," the group said.

"The Nigerian Military had stated that the de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration programme is a federal government programme conducted under the auspices of Operation Safe Corridor as a non- kinetic operation.

"It further stated that the de-radicalisation model is therefore not new in the global community, as such a model exists in Algeria, Colombia, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, where persons involved in violent extremism have been de-radicalised and rehabilitated and that the process is, therefore, an internationally accepted practice.

"These allegations were indeed weighty and it necessitated a comprehensive scrutiny in the light of the prevailing circumstances.

"In the course of the investigative report, the commissioned team took an inventory of the number of ex-Boko Haram members that submitted to the de-radicalisation programme and realized that about 250 repentant Boko Haram fighters that enrolled for the de-radicalisation programme have been reabsorbed into their communities and not the Nigerian Military as been speculated in certain quarters.

"A total number of 220 repentant Boko Haram members were identified in the various communities that span through North-East Nigeria, and it can be stated that they are indeed engaged in productive ventures such as farming, fishing, tailoring, shoemaking, and vigilante services in their various communities," the statement said.

The group also urged the leadership of the Nigerian Military to begin a sensitisation programme in the media to educate members of the general public of its recruitment process in a bid to discourage rumors peddling by mischievous individuals and organizations.