The authorities of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in
Maiduguri, Borno state, on Thursday freed 42 Boko
Haram suspects and handed them over to Governor
Kashim Shettima.
The freed suspects were also given N100,000 each to
resettle themselves.
According to reports, three of the freed suspects are
from Chad, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, and they
would be repatriated immediately by the Nigerian
Immigration Services, NIS, to their countries.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani
Usman, while presenting the freed suspects at the
Government House, Maiduguri, said the suspects were
arrested and are being “released because we found out
that they have nothing to do with Boko Haram
activities.”
“Out of the 42 suspects cleared by the military this
month, three are from the neighboring countries of
Burkina Faso, Chad and Cameroon.”
Most of the released suspects are said to be students,
traders, carpenters, drivers and panel beaters, of which
three were elderly persons and the remaining were
youths.
Receiving the suspects, Governor Shettima said some
of them will be immediately engaged in their various
areas of trade.
“An idle mind they say is the devils’ workshop,
therefore we cannot allow you people to be idle. From
your introduction, some of you are drivers, others are
tailors and some are students. All the drivers would be
immediately engaged by the state government and the
tailors too will be useful for our free uniform for school
children.
For the students, I am going to assist you to go back
and complete your studies. Others will also be taken
care of appropriately,” the governor said.