The Nigerian Army has said it was convinced the Islamic States West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists are foreigners coming to invade the country with the help of locals.
The army said to even accept them has been very difficult but professionally they are meant to do so.
The Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, who lamented the numbers of gallant soldiers killed by the terrorist group, urged citizens of Nigeria who have joined forces with the foreigners to relinquish themselves.
Bibian Anekwe News understands that Musa stated this in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday, September 22 in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
The Army Commander assures that the Nigerian military will not allow ISWAP to have a strong footing in Nigeria.
Musa asserts that ISWAP is being sponsored by foreigners with some local collaborations, adding that the terrorists that were refusing to surrender belonged to ISWAP.
The theatre commander stated that the military had advised the governments on the need to adopt the system of involving the victims in dialogue on the handling of the surrendered terrorists.
He added that the government must ensure that the victims were not left out, saying that people should be assured that the proper processes would be followed without compromise.
He said: “It is very clear that ISWAP are foreigners coming to invade our country which we will never allow to happen.”
“That is why I want to encourage those of them, especially those members that are with them to pull out and understand that they have no stake in what those guys are doing.
“They don’t wish the country well they don’t wish themselves well and we will never allow any foreigner step an inch on the ground in Nigeria,” Musa noted.
“So, for us to even accept them has been very difficult but professionally we are meant to do that. Once we have those windows and they are working we are meant to ensure that we arrest them bring them in and then the nation will take its proper cause through the constitution and that is what is going to happen.
“We want them to agree to understand fully that Operation Hadin Kai is just doing its own bit and the military operation is just one line of operation which is about 20 per cent while the remaining 80 per cent has to do with diplomacy, humanitarian, justice, rule of law and all these things.
“So, that is the stage we are in now,” he said.
Speaking about surrendering Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists, the military commander said the terrorists were being secured separately and would not go scot-free.
He said that the profiling of the surrendered terrorists was being carried out by the Defence Intelligence Agency, DSS and other security agencies.
According to him, everybody that has anything to do is also checking, “we have also invited the National Identity Management Agency who are taking the profiles of everybody.
“They take the thumb and pictures and so, even after this, we know what they are doing, we know where they are and know where he goes to.
“This goes to show you that we are taking the proper procedure and nobody is going to be compromised,” he added.
Source: Bibian Anekwe News
