Group holds rally in Maiduguri, tells terrorists to surrender [PHOTOS]

Following the success recorded in the fight against Boko Haram, the National Coalition Against Terrorism (NCAT) has urged fleeing

The group told backers and sponsors of the Boko Haram terrorist sect to sheath their sword so peace can fully return to the northeast.

The group's national coordinator, kuanum Terrence said this at the opening of a peace rally held at the Ramat Square, Maiduguri on Wednesday, February 1, 2017.

Terrence stated that the rally was to sensitise the residents and hand over the responsibility for winning the war in the region to them.

"Maiduguri is not just the capital of Borno state or the economic hub of the northeast geopolitical zone, it was also the epicenter of the activities of terrorists," Terrence said.

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"That this rally is holding here today is a testimony to the progress made in taking back our land from the grip of evil that had threatened to consume us but which has now been thankfully averted.

"We thank for this feat of being among the few locations on earth where the evil of terrorism has been halted within such a short time.

"It is in recognition of these notable contributions that we have organized this rally in the aftermath of the defeat of Boko Haram in with the capture of the terror group's Camp Zero. We were all personally in Sambisa to see for ourselves. We realize that Boko Haram fighters are fleeing after their loss in Sambisa Forest.

"We also know that instead of accepting their defeat they are attempting lone attacks that they intend would be misconstrued for their group still being potent. This is why we believe that it is time to activate the citizens' component in the war on terrorism and this is because we believe that the population should step in now that the military has done the larger part of the work.

"We realised that after being blocked from buying vital military equipment for fighting the anti-terror war, our military was able to adapt homegrown solutions and still went on to have the upper hand over Boko Haram. Other countries are now studying the Nigerian approach in their quest to defeat terrorists," he stated.

The group appreciated the efforts of men and officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies in restoring peace to the troubled region.