Skip to main content

Army hands over 348 cleared detainees to Borno gov.

Brig. Gen. Victor Ezugwu, GOC, 7 Division of Nigerian Army

Brig. Gen. Victor Ezugwu, GOC, 7 Division of Nigerian Army

The Nigerian Army has handed over 348 detainees to the Borno Government after they had been cleared of belonging to the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The Nigerian Army had earlier released 565 women comprising 366 breastfeeding babies, 149 mothers and 62 under-aged children evacuated by the Nigerian Army from camps operated by Boko Haram insurgents in different parts of Borno

Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the Nigerian Army handed over the detainees to Gov. Kashim Shettima at a ceremony in Maiduguri on Saturday

Ezugwu explained that the detainees were arrested in various anti-terrorism operations of the Nigerian Army in Borno.

He said that they were being handed over after a painstaking process to ensure that they had no relationship with the terrorist group.

“The review of the cases of terrorist suspects in our custody involves a painstaking and continuous process as directed by the Chief of Army Staff who has emplaced measures to guarantee societal and individual fundamental human rights.

“The process ensures that those captured while participating actively or passively in creating sorrow and mayhem in the society are screened out for necessary judicial recourse,” Ezugwu said.

According to him, those suspected members of the group who have been found innocent are periodically released to continue with their normal lives as law abiding citizens of Nigeria.

“The overall goal is that the just and innocent citizens of Nigeria do not suffer injustice.”

Ezugwu said that the detainees were made up of 114 adult male, 107 adult female and 127 children.

“The Nigerian Army have duly investigated all the suspects who were arrested at various camps and found 348 of them innocent of involvement in terrorism.

“They are made up of 114 cleared male suspects, 107 cleared female suspects and 127 children,” he said.

Ezugwu said that out of the 127 children 115 are under aged, while 12 are aged 11 years and above.

Receiving them Shettima thanked the Nigerian Army for the gesture and promised to rehabilitate them so they could continue with their lives.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...