BORNO State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, has said while welcoming surrendered terrorists, the government will not disregard the risks associated with the programme.
He said there was the need for sustaining stringent security profiling and other disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration procedures that can ensure the overall safety of the programme.
The governor described the mass surrender of over 35,000 fighters and commanders of Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province as divine intervention achieved through endless prayers of people from all around the world.
Zulum made his position known in his Easter message, saying the mass surrender of over 35,000 fighters and commanders was certainly one of Allah’s many miracles towards healing Borno State and the rest of the North-East region.
He stated, “This mass surrender is the product of the endless prayers of citizens across Borno State, the North-East region, Nigeria and indeed the world who have been offering, seeking God’s intervention to heal Borno State. It is the product of immense sacrifices by armed forces and volunteers. It is the product of repeated calls by political leaders, clergy, elders and traditional rulers asking insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace peace.
“We must therefore be optimistic in welcoming the likely benefits of disarming, demobilising, rehabilitating and reintegrating the mass-surrendered insurgents.
“However, we must welcome them without disregarding the risks associated with the programme, hence the need for sustaining stringent security profiling and other disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration procedures that can ensure the overall safety of the programme.
“I, therefore, urge all citizens to fervently pray for the success of our DDR for the mass surrender of those who seek peace and for the success of our armed forces and volunteers in the front line against those who insist on violence.
He added that in over 12 years of the battles with insurgents Borno State, for the first time, had a golden window of ending insurgency.
Copyright PUNCH.
