Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, Monday said that over 800 repentant Boko Haram insurgents are currently undergoing skill acquisition training. The NEMA boss who stated this at a two day Public Hearing on the North East Development Commission Bill, 2016 said that the skill acquisition exercise is being handled by the military and monitored by the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Although he did not say where the exercise is taking place, it is believed that the repentant Boko Haram insurgents are being hosted in Maidugiri, the capital of Borno State. Alhaji Sidi was responding to the comment of a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kaka Kyari Gujbawu, who canvassed general amnesty for returning Boko Haram insurgents.
Sidi said, “It is not true that the Federal Government has no amnesty package. There is what is called safe corridor. I do know that 800 plus (Boko Haram) have been registered. I don’t want to be specific. They have exited Boko Haram through the window. They are currently receiving various skill acquisition training. The military is handling it. It is being monitored by the Office of the CDS.”
