Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has revealed that over 60,000 children are among the 120,000 Boko Haram members who have surrendered.
Musa, on Monday, disclosed this during an interview with Arise News, emphasizing that not all individuals associated with Boko Haram were willing participants, as many were conscripted or enslaved.
“What we realised is that not everyone that is part of it is a terrorist. Some of them were conscripted, some of them were forced, some were enslaved,” Musa said.
He added that the surrendered members are being profiled in collaboration with the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies.
Musa explained that Boko Haram’s new strategy involves recruiting children, as they no longer have territorial strongholds.
“In the past, they would capture communities and force men, especially adults to join them. They would be beheaded if they refused. So they had no choice,” he said.
The defence chief expressed relief that many of these children are now in custody, saying they could have become a major threat if raised in a system that normalized violence and inhumane acts.
“But now that they no longer have a territory, they decided to start impregnating the women. And what they do is that if a woman gives birth, four months after giving birth, they impregnate her again.
“They were trying to produce a new set of terrorists. And to us, those new sets would have been most dangerous.
“Children born into a system where violence, killing, and inhumane acts were normalized would not have empathy. That’s why we are happy that over 60,000 surrendered.”
Musa assured that the government remains committed to deradicalization, rehabilitation, and prosecution to ensure lasting peace.
“Nigeria is safe and will continue to be safe,” he said .
