At least 42 suspects detained for allegedly belonging to the dreaded Boko Haram group have on Thursday, November 6, 2014, been released by the Nigerian Army in Borno state.
The 7 Division of the Nigerian Army headquarter in Maiduguri, which released the suspects, explained that the detainees, who comprised Nigerians and foreign nationals, were arrested at different times and at separate locations over suspicion of having links with the fundamentalist group.
While handing the suspected terrorists to Alhaji Kashim Shettima, the Borno State Governor, the representative of the division, Col. Sani Usman,explained that after proper investigations, about 42 of the detained suspects were not found innocent.
Usman said, “The Nigerian Army has for sometime now been 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.”
Among the released suspects were 39 Nigerians and three foreigners including a Burkinabe, a Cameroonian and a Chadian.
Usman further disclosed that the division had given the Nigerians a sum of N100,000 each to return to their various abodes.
Also he lauded the efforts of the state government and the entire residents of Borno in combating insurgency in the state.
Meanwhile, Shettima expressed immense appreciation to the army for releasing the men and pledged his support to ensure that the three foreign nationals are successfully repatriated to their different nations.
He further donated an undisclosed amount to each of the suspects and ordered that some of them be employed as tailors in the state civil service by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Bukar Yakubu.
