Buhari Meets Service Chiefs After ‘Unprecedented Surrender’ Of 219 Boko Haram Members, Others

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, held a crucial meeting with service chiefs and heads of other security agencies at the State House, Abuja.

The meeting came days after the Nigerian Army announced that 219 Boko Haram members, their wives and children had surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the North East.

The military had described the surrender as “unprecedented and massive”.

President Buhari’s meeting with the security chiefs reportedly analyzed current security challenges, successes being achieved by the troops as well as the implications of the reported mass surrender of the terrorists.

“The President will be brought up to speed on developments at the Thursday meeting, while plans to bring a decisive end to the challenges will be formulated,” Buhari’s senior media adviser, Femi Adesina, had said in a statement on Tuesday.

Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, had said in a statement on Tuesday: “A total of 186 Boko Haram Terrorists members led by their Amir, Manye Aga, comprising 67 adult males, 54 adult females and 65 children surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI at Forward Operational Base (FOB) Ajiri. Items recovered from the surrendered terrorists include, several AK 47 rifles and magazines, a locally made pistol and 8 locally fabricated daggers.

“Similarly, on 15 August, 2021, the Theatre took custody of additional Boko Haram fighters, comprising of 4 adult males, 11 adult females and 18 children from Landanli, Azah, Ngaridua and Kondilla villages, who surrendered to own troops of 151 Task Force Battalion, Banki Junction in Bama.

Nwachukwu also noted that there had been, “confusion and severe apprehension in the camps of the Islamic State of West Africa Province especially amongst its top-ranking commanders over the depleting strength of its members, which has drastically dwindled their overall fighting efficiency.”

Meanwhile, in attendance at today’s security meeting presided over by President Buhari were Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Ministers of Defence, Justice, Interior, Police and Foreign Affairs as well as the National Security Adviser.

Others were the service chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, Directors General, Department of state Services and the National Intelligence Agency, Chief of Defence Intelligence and other relevant stakeholders.