By Ismail Auwal
No fewer than 70,000 Boko Haram militants have reportedly fled government-controlled areas in the past months.
The military in a statement disclosed that out of the total number, 14,609 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered to authorities.
The commander of the counterinsurgency force in the region, Major General Chris Musa, said “14,609 were active male fighters, 20,955 were women, and 35,029 were children,”
The Army General stated that the military and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had commenced “reviewing of cases of detainees at the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC)”.
Major General Musa also revealed that the Borno State Government was making alternative arrangements for more camps to accommodate the defectors.
The military had previously raised concerns about the swelling number of people that surrendered to authorities, a development that has stretched three of the holding facilities.
