260 Boko Haram Combatants Surrender To The Nigerian Army

Thursday, 25 September 2014

260 Boko Haram Combatants Surrender To The Nigerian Army

According to the Nigerian Army, more than 260 Boko Haram militants have surrendered in north-eastern Nigeria.

Boko Haram has suffered heavy losses in recent weeks as the Nigerian military battles the group close to its hometown of Maiduguri in the north-east.

The military said that 135 Boko Haram members surrendered with their weapons in Biu, Borno State, on Tuesday while the other 133 surrendered elsewhere in north-eastern Nigeria.

However, if they are true, it could be a major turning point for the army’s campaign against Boko Haram militants, our correspondent adds.

Meanwhile, General Chris Olukolade of the Nigerian military said that a man named Mohammed Bashir was among those killed in the latest offensive against Boko Haram last week.

Bashir “had been acting or posing in videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group”, he added.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council meeting, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan urged the council to find more ways to combat the militant threat.

“Evidence has shown that Boko Haram is sourced largely from outside our country,” he said.

“Only by united action and firm resolve can we check this urgent threat to humanity and also build the enduring structures that will resist their re-emergence.”

“Boko Haram” means “Western education is forbidden” in Arabic, and the group frequently attacks schools and colleges, which it sees as a symbol of Western culture.