Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima on Friday,
September,16th explained basis for
administration’s continued care for families of
Boko Haram insurgents, noting that the aim is to
break the Boko Haram cycle of violence and
secure the future of Borno State.
Shettima gave the explanation while receiving 355
breastfeeding children babies, 149 breastfeeding
mothers and 62 under-aged evacuated by the the
Nigerian Army from camps operated by Boko
Haram insurgents in different parts of Borno State.
Majority of the the 566 persons are believed to be
families of the insurgents saved after the military
took over the camps during operations. It was the
fourth time he received such families and detained
suspects freed by the military.
The General Officer Commanding the 7th Division
of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Brigadier
General Victor Ezugwu handed over the the 566
children and adults to Governor Kashim Shettima
at a rehabilitation and reintegration center newly
opened by the Borno State Government in Maiduguri to give medical care, education and
cater for the welfare of the families. The
Government is working in partnership with the
UNICEF, NEMA, security agencies and other
stakeholders in the rehabilitation and
reintegration program. Shettima said at the event:
“What is of importance we should all know, is that
an average male member of the Boko Haram has
one great wish and that wish is for his son or
daughter to inherit his doctrine of violence. The
insurgents seriously take to child bearing as a
strategy of not only multiplying their numbers but also producing children they hope, will continue
from where their fathers stop in violent killings as
their own form of worship. The goal of Boko
Haram fathers is that even if they are killed by our
armed forces, they want to bequeath to us, a
future of violence in Borno State, a future of violence in the northeast and a violent future for
our country. Our ultimate aim in taking custody of
families of insurgents is to cut the cycle of violence
so as to secure the future of Borno State. Our aim is
to give education to the children of the insurgents
so that these children will grow to despise the values and doctrines their parents lived and
preached. The children will not be trained with any
element of hate for their parents, they won’t even
be told about the ways of their parents so that
they don’t grow with deflated self esteem. These
children will be raised like every other child, they will be raised to love and not to hate like their
parents wished for them. They will be trained to
safe lives and contribute to building and growing
communities not to take lives and destroy
communities like their parents would wish. This is
why we are determined to take care of these children. I am speaking in English knowing that
they don’t hear what I am saying because we
don’t want them to have low self esteem. We will
train them to have big dreams and to pursue their
dreams of becoming productive citizens. Some of
these children will be future leaders, many will be doctors, Engineers, lawyers and some may even
grow to join the military if they choose to. They will
Insha Allah, contribute to nation building and part
of the future of Borno State. We must love and care
for each other. We have witnessed so much hatred
and violence. Our hearts have been too consumed by agony. We must use the remaining space in our
hearts to love and to share love and
brotherhood”
The Governor also explained that majority of the
family members have been found to be innocent
of the violence of the Boko Haram insurgents
contrary to the wish of some members of the
public who want the sins of insurgents meted on
their families.
“There are some part of our citizens that may be
raising eye brows whenever we are seen taking
custody, loving and caring for families of members
of the Boko Haram insurgents whether their
widows or their children”
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