UPDATE: FG Is Setting Our Killers Free – Soldiers Kick As 1,400 Boko Haram Suspects Released

Released Bokoharam Insurgents
 

Some soldiers have reportedly reacted as the Federal government released 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspects rehabilitated by the military into the society.

The soldiers fighting at the war front in the north-east expressed their disappointment over the release,The Cable reports.

The commissioner of information in Borno state, Babakura Jato, had on Monday stated that the 1,400 repentant insurgents have been released in three tranches since Operation Safe Corridor programme was launched.

Jato said the majority of them are cleared suspects.

“These were people who were suspected of being members of Boko Haram and it was discovered that they were not,” he said.

 “The rest are children of Boko Haram or actual Boko Haram members. I cannot give you a breakdown of the figure now for security reasons.”

He also said he was aware of the allegation that some of those released had gone back to terrorism, but he added that some of these claims were mere speculation.

Reacting to the development, soldiers, who confirmed the release of the suspects on Tuesday, said they did not understand why suspected Boko Haram members are being released in large numbers.

“A lot of soldiers are not happy about this. We were there at the Maimalari barracks when some of these Boko Haram people were released,” one of the soldiers said.

“The authorities are releasing them, but Boko Haram are killing soldiers that they capture. This does not make sense to us at all. We continue to sweep across the bushes to flush these people out, and then the government will release them. Does that not amount to wasted efforts?”

Another soldier said he believes most of the released suspects find their way back to crime.

“You wonder why Boko Haram members are on the increase? When we arrest them and bring them here, some top people would come and start negotiating their release. But, I will tell you some of these so-called suspects are returning to the bush and they were never repentant.”