Nigerian Government says it is offering food items to 800 repentant Boko Haram insurgents as part of a rehabilitative effort. Sani Datti, spokesman for the0 National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said this in a statement Tuesday.
“The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has presented food and non-food items to the military for Operation Safe Corridor Programme meant to de-radicalise, rehabilitate and re-integrate 800 repented and surrendered Boko Haram insurgents to fast-track peace process in the northeast,” he said.
Muhammad Sani Sidi, NEMA director-general, said “The initiative, which is in line with international best practices, allowed those engaged in the fighting to voluntarily surrender and embrace peace so that they undergo rehabilitation.” NEMA listed the items as “410 bags of rice, 400 bags of beans, 200 bags of millet, 200 bags of sorghum, 750 cartons of spaghetti, 50 cartons of Maggi cubes and 810 cartons tomato paste. Others are 101 20-litre kegs of vegetable oil, 101 2-litre kegs of palm oil, 50 bags of salt, 100 bags of sugar, 420 cartons of milk and 420 cartons of milo chocolate”.
“The non-food items include 800 pieces of mattress, 500 hundred pieces of blanket, 500 pieces of nylon mats, 1000 plastic buckets, 1000 plastic spoons, 1000 plastic cups 1000, plastics plates, 1000 plastic pairs of slippers, 2000 men’s wear, 63 cartons of bath soap and 1000 bath towels.”
