The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has insisted that repentant Boko Haram Insurgents would be reintegrated back into the society.
Naija News reports that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this while speaking on Saturday in Washington DC.
He stated that he was misunderstood in reports claiming that he said “the decision of the Federal Government not to prosecute repentant insurgents was in line with global best practice.”
According to the minister, repentant insurgents can be prosecuted by the federal government.
Lai Mohammed however insisted that it was against best global practice to shoot repentant insurgents without profiling and prosecution.
“I personally spoke to the military authority before I left Nigeria and they said what they were doing is what the global practice dictates about soldiers that surrendered that should be treated as prisoners of war,” he said.
“You cannot just shoot them because there are international conventions that give rights also to prisoners of war.
“What the military is doing is that, when they surrender, they profile them to ensure that they are genuine and reintegrate them into the society.”
He stated that the President Buhari government and military should be commended over the large number of insurgents surrendering.
This article was originally published on Naija News