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800 Repentant Boko Haram Terrorists Undergoing Deradicalisation – DHQ

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The Defence Headquarters has disclosed that 800 former Boko Haram fighters who surrendered to the military are currently undergoing deradicalisation as part of efforts to reintegrate them into society.

Speaking on Channels TV Morning Brief on Monday, the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Emeka Onumajuru, revealed that while 129,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families had so far surrendered, only a select group had been chosen for rehabilitation.

“To get the numbers right, right now, (we have) about 129,000 surrendered Boko Haram members and their families,” Onumajuru stated.

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He explained that all surrendered individuals are subjected to legal scrutiny, with those found guilty facing prosecution, while others deemed fit for rehabilitation are placed in the deradicalisation programme.

READ ALSO: Again Boko Haram Kills Army Commander, 19 Soldiers In Borno

Some of them are in detention facilities, some of them are in Kainji, and there is a special court that goes through all of them. Those that were found culpable face the books, and those that are going to be deradicalised go through the process, which takes about a year,” he said.

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The military chief defended the feasibility of rehabilitating former insurgents within a year, noting that the programme is handled by professionals under Operation Safe Corridor, a non-kinetic approach to combating terrorism.

It’s possible because the deradicalisation is done by professionals. That one-year period is sufficient enough, depending on the people handling the deradicalisation,” Onumajuru asserted.

He further clarified that not all surrendered fighters are automatically admitted into the programme.

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READ ALSO: Boko Haram Commander, 5 Fighters Surrender In Borno

“The number taken in is not huge. As I said, we have 129,000 Boko Haram members and families. It doesn’t mean the 129,000 are going through the programme. The people going through the programme right now are about 800—in batches,” he explained.

The Defence Headquarters has disclosed that 800 former Boko Haram fighters who surrendered to the military are currently undergoing deradicalisation as part of efforts to reintegrate them into society.

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Speaking on Channels TV Morning Brief on Monday, the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Emeka Onumajuru, revealed that while 129,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families had so far surrendered, only a select group had been chosen for rehabilitation.

To get the numbers right, right now, (we have) about 129,000 surrendered Boko Haram members and their families,” Onumajuru stated.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram Kills Two In Fresh Chibok Raid

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He explained that all surrendered individuals are subjected to legal scrutiny, with those found guilty facing prosecution, while others deemed fit for rehabilitation are placed in the deradicalisation programme.

“Some of them are in detention facilities, some of them are in Kainji, and there is a special court that goes through all of them. Those that were found culpable face the books, and those that are going to be deradicalised go through the process, which takes about a year,” he said.

The military chief defended the feasibility of rehabilitating former insurgents within a year, noting that the programme is handled by professionals under Operation Safe Corridor, a non-kinetic approach to combating terrorism.

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READ ALSO: JUST IN: FG Resumes Suspected Boko Haram Members Trial

“It’s possible because the deradicalisation is done by professionals. That one-year period is sufficient enough, depending on the people handling the deradicalisation,” Onumajuru asserted.

He further clarified that not all surrendered fighters are automatically admitted into the programme.

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“The number taken in is not huge. As I said, we have 129,000 Boko Haram members and families. It doesn’t mean the 129,000 are going through the programme. The people going through the programme right now are about 800—in batches,” he explained.

Metro

Lagos Man Shot Dead After Fight In Nightclub

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There was panic on Friday after a man, identified simply as Alex, was shot by suspected gunmen at Iyana Isashi in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that the incident occurred at about 8 pm.

A resident in the community who requested not to be mentioned due to the nature of the incident had told The PUNCH that the deceased was on his way to meet a friend when two men on a bike accosted him.

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One of them was, however, said to have pulled out a gun in the process and shot him at close range.

READ ALSO:Lagos Opens Portal For Teaching Job Applications

The source said, “Alex stays at Cele Niza here in Iyana Isashi. He had just come back from his place of work when he stepped out again, probably to meet a friend. He was on his way when some men on a bike stopped him on the way and shot him. It was the sound of the gunshot that attracted people around, who rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood. The gunmen were also seen trying to escape from the area while still on the bike.”

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According to the source, Alex was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was being attended to.

Giving an update on the incident on Wednesday, the source confirmed to that the victim succumbed to the gunshot injuries earlier in the day.

We lost him this morning. He had been in a coma since that Friday, and doctors tried all they could to save him, but he did not make it,” the source disclosed.

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Meanwhile, the victim, otherwise known as Fleximore, was said to have had an altercation with some strangers at a nightclub in the community a day before the incident happened.

Another resident who identified himself simply as Quadri and made this known to The PUNCH on Wednesday said, “Some of his friends who went to a club in the area with him said he had a serious fight with some guys there. They said it started with an argument that later resulted in a confrontation.

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“Although they tried to settle it but that is very unusual of him. You hardly hear anything of such about him. Alex is an easy-going person and does not make trouble, but we don’t know the kind of person he had issues with at the nightclub, and that is why some people said the attack was most likely a result of what happened at the club.”

According to Quadri, arrangements are ongoing to bury the late Alex.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident.

“I am not aware of the incident, but I will call the DPO in the area to confirm,” she said.

Communities in the Iba Local Government Area and adjoining communities along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway have, over the months, witnessed a series of cult-related attacks. The resident had also called for the intervention of the police authorities.

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Gunmen Invade Ex-Ogun LG Chairman’s Residence

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An armed gang on Thursday morning invaded the residence of former Ijebu-Ode Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Emilola Gazal, carting away valuables, cash, and his vehicle.

Gazal, who is also the publisher of The Roots Magazine, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview.

The three armed men broke into my residence at Ijebu-Ode GRA at about 2 a.m. They collected all the cash with me after which they forced me to open my bank apps on my phone and transfer everything there to an account they provided. They left only N5,000 in my account.

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READ ALSO:Police Foil Robbery On Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Recover Stolen Tricycle In Ogun

“They also made away with my wife’s trinkets and with my ash-colour car. They actually told me they would be going away with my car. I am just going to report the incident to the police at Igbeba and Obalende, Ijebu-Ode”, Gazal told our correspondent.

According to The PUNCH, that this incident comes amid a spate of violent robberies and home invasions reported across Ogun State, particularly in the Ijebu area.

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For example, earlier this year, the Ogun State Police Command killed a suspected armed robber in a gun duel along the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Expressway.

READ ALSO:Police Foil Robbery On Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Recover Stolen Tricycle In Ogun

The command, on September 12, 2025, also recently arrested a man linked to a burglary and armed robbery in Ayetoro, amounting to about N1.5 million in stolen goods.

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Meanwhile, the regional security network, Amotekun Corps, has in past operations engaged criminal gangs in shootouts, neutralising suspects in Ogun’s border zones.

Details later…

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Edo Police Kill Two Suspected Kidnappers In Gun Duel

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Operatives of the Edo State Police Command neutralised two suspected kidnappers in a gun duel in Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area on September 30.

The command’s spokesperson, Moses Yamu, confirmed this on Wednesday in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin.

According to Yamu, other suspects escaped with varying degrees of injury in the course of the gun battle, while guns and mobile phones were recovered from the scene.

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READ ALSO:Edo Activist In Police Net Over Alleged Assault On Abure

He said, “On 30th September, 2025 at about 09:50hrs, acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Amedokhian Tactical Division, in synergy with local Hunters and the Vigilante group, led by SP Peter Ogah, embarked on a bush combing operation along the railway track leading to Ubiaja in Esan South East Local Government Area.

“During the operation, the team encountered a gang of suspected kidnappers who opened fire on the operatives. In the ensuing gun duel, two of the suspects were neutralised, while others escaped with varying degrees of injuries.

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“One AK-47 rifle with breech number 4148, 33 rounds of live ammunition, and two mobile phones were recovered at the scene. The neutralised suspects were immediately taken to the hospital where they were confirmed dead.”

READ ALSO:Police Rescue Mother, Baby, Five Others From Kidnappers In Kwara

The command’s imagemaker also disclosed that on the same date, operatives of the same Tactical Division recovered an English-made double-barreled shotgun with breech number 03273286 and two live cartridges in the forest around Idumogun community in Ukoni area of Esan South East LGA during a bush combing operation.

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He said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, commended the gallantry of the operatives, hunters, and vigilante groups for their swift response and synergy in combating crime.

Agbonika assured members of the public that the Command remains resolute in its commitment to rid the State of criminal elements.

He urged members of the public to support the command’s Community Safety Partnership initiative and informal policing efforts in ensuring a safer Edo State.

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