More than 1,250 members of Boko Haram members have surrendered to Nigerian troops following killing of their fighters by Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP.
Boko Haram fighters were said to have surrendered to escape being killed by Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, who had killed about 200 of their fighters including family members in a raging onslaught between the two rival insurgent groups.
Fleeing Boko Haram fighters and families numbering about 1,250 surrendered to Nigerian troops in five villages in North East in the last seven days following a deadly clash with the rival Islamic State of the West African Province (Iswap) that claimed over 200 lives.
Local sources said that ISWAP terrorists carried out reprisal attacks on Boko Haram fighters on February 26 and 27, 2023 in Gaizuwa, Mantari, Gabchari, Kashimiri and Maimusari in Bama, North East Borno state.
The ISWAP group successfully dislodged Boko Haram, killing scores of them and forcing survivors to flee their camps together with their families.
A top Military source told a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad that the ISWAP group intercepted the fleeing terrorists in Yale in Konduga and Choliye in Gudumbali LGA and neutralised more than 200 of them.
The rampaging ISWAP stormed another hideouts in Asinari, Ashanari and Masarmari area in Konduga on March 1, 2023 and killed another scores of other fighters.
The continued inter-rivalry clash of the groups, triggered massive surrendering of the militants in Mafa, Konduga and Bama Local Government Areas, military sources said.
“The militants surrendered because of the fear that they will be neutralised by either the Super Tukano’s of the Military or ISWAP rival faction.
“There was no hiding place anymore for them. If they stay in an open ground, they will be killed by troops and if they attempt to cross over to the ISWAP strongholds in Northern Borno, they will get killed too.
“So far, we have received 1,250 fighters and their families within one week. This overwhelming number was the highest we have received at a very short period of time in different parts of the theatres.
“The surrendered suspects who also came out with about 1,000 livestock, confessed that the ISWAP were after their lives as they do not spear women and children.
“Among those who surrendered were women who had been enslaved by, conscripted by or minors born to the insurgents,”he said.
The military sources said profiling of the surrendered terrorists is ongoing, after which the individuals will be handed over to the appropriate agencies for further rehabilitation.
Recalled that the military authority said as many as 100,000 fighters and family members, along with their captives, have left Boko Haram.
The largest wave of defections by terror group was attributed to the death of Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s leader, who blew himself up in May 2021, during a rival clash with ISWAP.
