BEVERLY HILLS, November 06, (THEWILL) – Freedom came at last for 42 detained Boko Haram suspects Thursday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri ordered their release.
The freed suspects included some Nigerians as well as other foreign nationals arrested at different times and at separate locations over suspicion that they were linked to the Boko Haram terrorist group.
The Army, which handed the freed suspects to Borno state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, explained that investigations had shown that they had no link with the insurgents.
Speaking during the handing over of the suspects to the governor, spokesman of the division, Col. Sani Usman, said: “The Nigerian Army has for sometime now being fighting terrorism in the country. During this period, some suspected terrorists were arrested and detained.”
“However after being investigated, 42, which included three foreigners who were found innocent are now freed. These detainees were released after being cleared of belonging to the Boko Haram terrorists group.”
The Army spokesman explained that extensive investigations conducted by the relevant security operatives had exonerated the detained suspects from having any link either directly or indirectly with Boko Haram.
He listed the three foreigners to include a Burkinabe, a Cameroonian and a Chadian, adding that that the division had provided a token of N100,000 to each of the 39 Nigerians to return to their various homes.
Usman however commended the Borno State Government and residents of the state for their support in the battle against the terrorists.
In his response at the occasion, Shettima expressed gratitude to the Army for releasing the suspects, promising to assist in repatriating the three foreigners to their various countries.
The governor also gave an unspecified cash donations to the suspects as he directed the state Head of Service, Alhaji Bukar Yakubu, to employ some of them as tailors in the state civil service.
According to Shettima, “For those of them who are tailors by trade, we will employ them to sew school uniforms for our students as we flag off free uniform for our students.”
He added that “Those who can drive will be employed in the state Road Maintenance Agency as drivers,” even as he promised to assist the students among the freed suspects in completing their education.”
