In a major breakthrough against insurgency, the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) announced on Wednesday, July 2, that 210 Boko Haram members including conscripted fighters and their families have surrendered to Sector 2 troops stationed in Bol, near Baga Sola.
According to Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, MNJTF spokesperson, the surrender came after heightened kinetic and non-kinetic operations in the volatile Lake Chad region. The defectors, he said, admitted to participating in terrorist activities across Bakatolerom, Barkalam, Litri, and Kaiga Ngbouboun.
Troops recovered ten assorted firearms from the group, signaling a tangible step toward disarmament.
The Sector 2 Commander, Major General Moussa Haussa, lauded the troops for their vigilance and reaffirmed the force’s zero-tolerance stance against terrorism. “There is no future for terrorism in this region,” he declared, while assuring that all surrendered individuals will be treated humanely and enrolled in the MNJTF’s deradicalisation programme.
Brigadier General Saleh Haggar Tidjani, Governor of the Lake Chad Region, also welcomed the surrender. He revealed that a skill acquisition initiative is in motion to help former insurgents rebuild their lives through vocational training and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
This mass defection is a significant blow to Boko Haram’s operational strength in the Lake Chad Basin and affirms the effectiveness of MNJTF’s multi-pronged strategy: combining military action with soft-power measures to weaken the insurgency’s grip.
The MNJTF pledged to continue its collaboration with regional allies to restore enduring peace and stability to the region.
