Group punctures allegations against military on recruitment of ex-Boko Haram members

The Advocates of Social Justice for All (ASJA) has rubbished reports that the Nigerian Army recruited repentant Boko Haram members.

The group made this known in an international press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Samuel Adadu, convener of the group, said such speculation is a “ distraction to the on-going efforts of the Nigerian Army in the fight against terrorism and other militant activities in the country”.

Adadu added that “war merchants” are angry that the military is making considerable gains in the fight against terrorism in the north-east.

It said the recruitment into the army is so rigorous that insurgents cannot in any way fit into its operational structure.

Read full statement below:

This Press Conference is at the instance of the rumour that the Nigerian Army has recruited repentant Boko Haram fighters into the Nigerian Army.

The Advocates of Social Justice for All in fulfilment of one its mandate of ensuring social justice for all regardless of ethnic, religious, or political views sees the need to lend its voice to this debate to put issues in proper perspective for the benefit of the generality of Nigerians.

The rumour making the rounds that repentant Boko Haram members have been recruited into the Nigerian Army is an outright falsehood and highly misleading information been pushed by enemies of the Nigerian state.

To say there is no iota of truth in the rumour is an understatement. Instead, it is a part of a bigger plot to cause a distraction to the on-going efforts of the Nigerian Army in the fight against terrorism and other militant activities in the country.

The Advocates for Social Justice for All, as an organization conversant with the operations of the Nigerian Army in its quest to bring to an end terrorist activities in the country, views such rumours as the handiwork of distractors and agents of some international terrorist network.

The takeaway from the rumour is that war merchants are angry that the Nigerian Military is making considerable gains in the fight against terrorism in North-East Nigeria. As such, they must do everything possible to cause a distraction to suit their nefarious interests.

The Advocates for Social Justice for All indeed see the rumour of the recruitment of repentant Boko Haram fighters as indeed laughable and not in tune with reality given the fact that it has at various times monitored the rigorous recruitment process in the three arms of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, notably the Nigerian Army under the leadership of Lt Gen TY Buratai.

The quality of recruitments into the Nigerian Army is not a subject of debate because of the rigorous processes involved since Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai assumed leadership of the Nigerian Army.

It is indeed a statement of the fact that the repentant Boko Haram members cannot in any way fit into the operational structure of the Nigerian Army. As such, the rumour should be disregarded by all and sundry for lacking in merit and reason.

The Advocates for Social Justice for All, as well as other civil society organizations involved in the counter-insurgency operations of the Nigeria Army, is aware of the fact that recruitment of repentant Boko Haram fighters into the Nigerian Army is a figment of the imagination of sponsors of such malaise.

The Advocates for Social Justice for All states in unequivocal terms that the Nigerian Army has witnessed transparency and probity in its recruitment where not just federal character is being adhered to, and character and behavioral excellence have been deeply entrenched.

The Advocates for Social Justice for All wishes to advise those bent in distracting the troops engaged in clearance operations of Boko Haram remnants in North-East Nigeria to desist from further misleading the members of the unsuspecting general public in their ill-fated flight of fancy.

These rumour merchants should think of creative ways to push their half-truths because Nigerians are aware of their gimmick, which by all standard won’t stand the test of time.

The Advocates of Social Justice for All as an organization recognizes the sound leadership qualities of the Nigerian Army and states that it is only a matter of time for the remnants of Boko Haram would be flushed out from the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin region where they have taken refuge.

The Advocates of Social Justice for All wishes to encourage the leadership of the Nigerian Army to continue to churn out innovations that are geared towards preserving the territorial integrity of Nigeria at all times.

The Advocates of Social Justice for All also advises those bent on distracting the Nigerian troops in the Theatre of Operations to desist from such enterprise and instead channel their resources and energy towards other productive ventures.