Nigerian military claims complete victory over Boko Haram

LAGOS, Feb. 5 — The Nigerian Army has completely defeated the
Boko Haram insurgents in the restive northeast parts of the country,
Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, head of a military operation, said late on
Saturday.

Nicholas, the Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, spoke this during
the inauguration of the Nigeria-Cameroon Military Joint Mission in
Maiduguri, capital of Borno State.He said the collaboration between the two
militaries was critical to the successful completion of the
counter-insurgency campaign.We share information and intelligence to enable
us map out strategies to fight Boko Haram insurgents in our common
borders,” he said.Troops under the operation DEEP PUNCH II had on Friday
dislodged and occupied the insurgents’ tactical ground “Camp Zairo,” the
military chief told his audience, adding that hundreds of insurgents had
surrendered and several others fled their enclave while over 100 civilians
were rescued.”My soldiers are in the heart of Boko Haram enclave that is
‘Camp Zairo,’ the gallant troops have taken total control of Sambisa
Forest,” he added.”We have broken the heart and soul of Shekau’s group,
taking over the camp and its environs,” he said.”They are on the run and we
are pursuing them to wherever they go. This time around there is no place
for escape anywhere,” Nicholas added.”We had earlier asked those of them
that want to surrender to do so and we are still asking them to come out
and surrender otherwise they are going to meet it the hard way,” the
commander said.

The military chief called on the insurgents and abducted persons in the
bush to come out and surrender to the troops, stressing that they would not
be harmed or killed.He revealed that the troops had destroyed insurgents’
hideouts, vehicles and ammunition, while hundreds of insurgents surrendered
and over 100 civilians were rescued.According to him, the command would
profile the rescued persons for rehabilitation and de-radicalization for
reintegration into the society.While handing over 82 rescued persons to the
Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Maiduguri, the military
chief called on persons in Boko Haram insurgents’ captivity to submit
themselves to the troops.”This is the last phase of the operation; we are
asking everybody in Borno State to give cooperation in terms of giving
information about fleeing Boko Haram members,” he added.”People need to be
vigilant in their localities, if you see any suspected persons, report to
the military or security agents,” he said.”As I speak to you now many of
them have surrendered and many more will surrender to the troops. The most
important thing is that we are treating this people very humane because
they are Nigerians,” the military chief told his audience.

Nicholas added that the rescued persons including women, children and the
aged would undergo medical examinations, rehabilitation and
de-radicalization process.Meanwhile, Rabi Abu-Yasir, wife of Boko Haram’s
chief physician on Saturday surrendered to the troops of Operation Lafiya
Dole, in the ongoing clearance operation to rout out remnants of the
insurgents.Rabi told newsmen that her husband was the medical doctor to the
insurgents’ leader, Abubakar Shekau.She said she was rescued on Friday
after the troops dislodged the insurgents’ enclaves in Sambisa
Forest.Recounting her ordeal, Rabi said unlike her peers, she enjoyed
preferential treatment and privileges in view of her position as a wife to
the physician.Rabi lauded the military for the rescue operation and called
on the abducted persons still in the bush to come out and surrender to the
troops. – XINHUA