Food embargo as a lethal weapon of war, is working in Nigeria’s north east, where hungry militants are fast losing the appetite to continue their war of attrition against Nigeria.
Scores of emaciated-looking Boko Haram members begging for food have surrendered in northeast Nigeria, the military and a civilian self-defense fighter said Wednesday.
Seventy-six people including children and women gave themselves up to soldiers last Saturday in Gwoza, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, according to a senior officer.
All are being detained at military headquarters in Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and currently the command center of the war against the Islamic extremists, according to the officer. He insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.
The detainees said many more fighters want to surrender, a self-defense civilian fighter who helped escort them to Maiduguri revealed today.
Food shortages could indicate that Nigeria’s military is succeeding in choking supply routes of the Islamic extremists who have taken their fight across Nigeria’s borders. Some 20,000 people have died in the 6-year-old uprising. Boko Haram was declared the deadliest of all terror groups in 2014, surpassing the Islamic State group to which it declared allegiance last year.
Nigeria’s military reported that dozens of Boko Haram fighters were surrendering in September and October last year. It promised those who give themselves up voluntarily that they will be rehabilitated through a de-radicalization program.
In the 10 months since he took office promising to halt the insurgency, President Muhammadu Buhari has replaced the leadership of the military, moved the headquarters for the fight from the distant capital, Abuja, to the heart of the northeastern insurgency and resupplied soldiers.
The military has driven the insurgents from the towns and villages where they had set up an Islamic caliphate but Boko Haram has returned to hit-and-run tactics and suicide bombings.
China has agreed to invest in Nigeria following a visit from its foreign affairs minister to Nigeria - The country said this was in addition to earlier investments - Nigeria has withdrawn diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and agreed to the One China policy Wang Yi who is the Chinese foreign minister has promised that the country is investing $40 billion as part of the plan to deepen relationship with Nigeria. He made this comment during a press briefing with his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama on Wednesday, January 11 adding that this money was in addition to $22 billion projects already invested. READ ALSO: China might refuse to give Nigeria $20bn loan Yi said: “China has already invested or financed a total number of $22billion projects here in Nigeria, another $23billion projects are on-going. In addition, we are also following up another over $40billion of investments, which are in the pipeline.” China to invest in Nigeria; Taiwanese office
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