Over 200 Boko Haram fighters, including those who were forced to join and their families, have surrendered to soldiers in the Lake Chad region. This was made known by the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) on July 2. The surrender took place in Bol, near Baga Sola, where Sector 2 of the MNJTF operates.

A spokesperson for the task force, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, said that the surrender happened because of strong military actions and peace-building efforts in the area.

The former fighters admitted that they had taken part in attacks in places like Bakatolerom, Barkalam, Litri, and Kaiga Ngbouboun around the Lake Chad area. During their surrender, they also handed over 10 weapons of different types.

Major General Moussa Haussa, who is in charge of Sector 2 and Operation Lake Chad, praised the soldiers for their hard work. He encouraged them to keep up their efforts, saying that terrorism has no future in the region.

He also promised that the surrendered people would be treated with care and placed into a deradicalisation programme that helps them give up extremist beliefs.

Brigadier General Saleh Haggar Tidjani, the Governor of the Lake Chad region, welcomed the surrendered fighters. He explained that there are plans to teach them new skills so they can start a new life and return to society peacefully.

This programme is meant to help them earn a living and live a normal civilian life again.

This large surrender is a major setback for Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area. It shows that the MNJTF’s strategy of combining military force with peaceful reintegration efforts is working.

The MNJTF said it will continue to work closely with other countries in the region to bring lasting peace and safety to the Lake Chad Basin.