‘DHQ won’t join issues with National Assembly on repentant terrorists’

TRACKING____The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said it would not join issues with the National Assembly over its criticism of the military-led rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant Boko Haram members into the society.

The military explained that talking back at the nation’s legislative body would amount to insubordination, as the parliamentarians are political masters.

Operation Safe Corridor is a multi-agency humanitarian effort led by the DHQ, which is aimed at De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Re-Integration (DRR) of low risk repentant members of the Islamic sect.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume on Wednesday criticised the concept of Operation Safe Corridor, alleging that a ‘repentant’ Boko Haram member was responsible for the murder of an army colonel, D.C Bako, by giving out information to the terrorists regarding the movement of the officer.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, made the decision of the DHQ known while fielding questions from Defence correspondents at a weekly update on military operations across the federation.

“Like I told you earlier about the same Senate, what is my level? I will not respond to it my dear, it is wrong. When my masters have spoken, I cannot speak again. If the service chiefs say something, I can re-echo it, but responding to criticism of the National Assembly will amount to insubordination.

“This is because if I talk now, you – the press– will go and start joining issues that this one is good and the other one is bad. The information that came out is from the grand strategic level, therefore, I advise that when you get to the Senate, or the Ministry of Defence, you can ask them, but spare me of this kind of question at this level,” he said.

Gen. Enenche assured the nation that before long, the activities of armed bandits in the North West zone would be a thing of the past, noting that the operations in the zone are increasingly giving intelligence gathering significant attention.

He said: “Many bandit informants and collaborators are being weeded-off and the bandit fighters on this account are surrendering to state authorities.