Boko Haram fighter lays down arms

A Boko Haram fighter has surrendered to the Nigerian military in Gwoza, Borno State, citing the military’s onslaught and leadership injustice within the terrorist group.

The fighter, who operated under Commander Ali Ngulde in the Mandara Mountains, surrendered on March 1, handing over his AK-47 rifle and ammunition.

According to the fighter, the reasons for his defection include intensified military operations, leadership oppression, injustice within the ranks, and a looming food crisis due to supply route blockages.

He also revealed that many fighters trapped in the Mandara Mountains are willing to surrender but fear execution by their commanders.

This development comes as Boko Haram has been experiencing internal conflicts and power struggles, particularly after the death of its leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Many fighters have been surrendering, citing disillusionment with the group’s ideology and tactics.

The Nigerian military has been encouraging Boko Haram fighters to surrender, with some being rehabilitated and reintegrated into society through programs like Operation Safe Corridor.

However, the process has been criticized for being slow and inadequate, with some arguing that it does not address the root causes of the insurgency.

Wave of defection 

More than 1,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have handed themselves over to army units in recent weeks in the southern Borno state towns of Konduga, Bama, and Mafa – including what the military has described as the group’s “chief bomb expert”.

And hundreds more fighters have reportedly surrendered across the border in neighbouring Cameroon.

In staged ceremonies, troops have handed out food and clothes to groups of solemn men holding placards in English, some reading: “Nigerians please forgive us”; “peace is the only way”; and “surrender and live”.

The “massive surrendering” is the result of a “recent escalation of offensive operations”, the military said in a triumphant statement earlier this week.

But analysts argue that the unprecedented scale of defections has more to do with the fallout over the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.

He died in the aftermath of an attack in May on his Sambisa Forest base in southern Borno by the breakaway Islamic State in West Africa Province, a group headed since March by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, a young and increasingly charismatic figure.

The bulk of senior Boko Haram commanders in Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon pledged allegiance to al-Barnawi in the wake of Shekau’s death.

Those who refused were given a deadline and warned they would be hunted down and killed – many have since escaped to the army’s front lines and given themselves up.

“They don’t have the weaponry to confront ISWAP, so their best bet is to surrender and to at least get their families taken care of,” journalist and security analyst Ahmad Salkida, said.

“The conflict in the northeast may get a lot tougher [for the security forces] after the rainy season [which ends in September],” said Salkida. “ISWAP is consolidating; it’s making sure it’s the only armed non-state actor in the region.”

Boko Haram

Boko Haram is a jihadist terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria.

The group was founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf, and its name roughly translates to “Western education is forbidden” in the local Hausa language.

Initially, the group focused on opposing Western-style education and promoting a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

In 2009, Boko Haram launched a violent insurgency against the Nigerian government, seeking to establish an Islamic state in the country.

The group’s tactics have included bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings, resulting in thousands of deaths and displacements.

In 2014, Boko Haram gained international notoriety for its abduction of over 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria.

Despite suffering significant losses in recent years, Boko Haram remains a potent force in the region.

The group has split into several factions, including the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Boko Haram’s insurgency has also spilled over into neighboring countries, including Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, making it a regional security concern.

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