The military on Wednesday said it has cleared Boko Haram members from 630 settlements in the North East in the last two months.

The military also stated that within the same period, 82 insurgents were killed while 468 persons were rescued and handed over to various IDP camps.

Theatre Commander of Operations Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, said this while addressing a press conference on Wednesday.

He said, “I must state here that the final defeat of the Boko Haram terrorists is imminent. Therefore, I call on all Boko Haram members to abandon their hypocritical leaders who live in affluence but deceive their followers by luring them to death through false ideologies.

“Boko Haram ideologies and its course are premised on falsehood and apparently a futile struggle. All insurgents who are willing to turn a new leaf are advised to surrender to any military location nearest to them. We guarantee your safety and rehabilitation as well as re-integration into the society if you surrender.”

He added, “Troops have continued to conduct fighting patrols, clearance and ambush operations to rid the hinterlands of fleeing BHT elements and totally dominate the theatre. A total of 82 BHT were killed in combat, 630 settlements were cleared while 468 persons were rescued and handed over to various IDP camps within the period under review.”

He accused Boko Haram of committing international war crimes by using women and children as suicide bombers in the ongoing war in the North-East.

Azeez