Borno Governor, Zulum, Says 90 Percent Of ‘Repentant’ Terrorists Are Genuine

Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, voiced faith in’repentant’ Boko Haram militants on Wednesday, claiming that 90% of them are real.

The governor voiced his belief that the vast majority of terrorists who surrendered to the Nigerian military are sincerely contrite.

Prof Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno State
His guarantee came in the wake of criticisms about how terrorists who had surrendered were treated.

Nigerians have expressed reservations over the government’s and military’s handling of the amnesty extended to terrorists who voluntarily surrendered their weaponry and turned themselves in to authorities, notwithstanding the atrocities they had done.

Zulum said he has “personally interacted with some of the repentant terrorists to gain an insight into their thoughts” at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the Presidential Committee on the Repatriation, Return, and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East.

While fielding questions from journalists, Zulum responded, “I am 100 percent confident. Yes. While no process is perfect in the entire world, so far, so good. The process has yielded positive results; I believe over 90 percent of those that have surrendered, are doing well and have given the government the necessary support.
 
“They’re also calling their colleagues in the bush to come out and join the process of peacebuilding.”
 
And when asked if more terrorists would embrace the amnesty deal, Zulum said, “In fact, they are over ready. They have been agitating for a return for the last two and a half years. But unfortunately, the enabling environment has not been created for that return.
 
“But now that the federal government has acted, all the necessary resources and materials needed to ensure their return in a dignified manner will be provided by the federal government and we remain extremely grateful.”