Nigeria: Army Denies Recruiting Repentant Insurgents

The Nigerian Army has denied claims it’s recruiting repentant or surrendered insurgents into the institution, attributing the allegations to a campaign aimed at distracting its personnel from their resolve to bring an end to the violent crimes in the country.

Army’s spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement said the Army wasn’t desperate for recruits that it will stoop low to enlist former insurgents.

The army was reacting to a video that’s been circulated on social media by one Young Elder and produced by Anthony Jay which described the collapse of the Afghanistan military to the surrender of Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria.

“While it is understood that the situation in Afghanistan calls for concerns by any right thinking person or organisation, the manner in which the comic Young Elder presented it shows his lack of basic knowledge on the subject he hurriedly delved into,” he said.

“The amateurish production conjured some unfounded and baseless claims that only exist in the figment of their imagination, claiming that surrendered terrorists were going to be absorbed into the Nigerian Army.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the NA does not have any repentant terrorist joining its ranks and does not have any plan for that.

“There are teaming able-bodied Nigerians that are willing to join the NA to genuinely help in the fight against terrorism and other violent crimes.”

According to the army spokesman, the “campaign of falsehood embarked upon by some individuals who do not wish the nation well cannot distract its personnel from their resolve to bring an end to the violent crimes in the country”.

“Surrendered terrorists will be received, processed and passed to the appropriate government agencies that are saddled with the responsibility of handling them,” he said.

“While we recommend that matters related to security be left with those who have the requisite expertise and experience.

“We wish to remind comic characters like Young Elder to focus on contributing towards nation building and not engaging in a campaign of falsehood.”