The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, a Lieutenant General, has handed over to the Borno State government 128 cleared detainees who were arrested in different parts of the state on suspicion of having links with Boko Haram.

Handing over the released detainees to the state governor, Kashim Shettima, Buratai said they were cleared by a joint intelligent corps made up of military intelligence officers, the police and Department of State Services, DSS, and they have been certified to have no links to the sect.

According to Buratai, the new operation codenamed Operation Lafiya Dole goes beyond defeating Boko Haram.

“The task of Operation Lafiya Dole can be seen in three terms – to defeat the insurgents, to facilitate humanitarian activities and observe human rights and restore the administrative functions in the liberated area,” he said.

“We are here to formally hand over those arrested in the process of our operations; we are pleased to hand over the 128 suspects that have been cleared by the joint intelligent core, which comprised the Army, the police and DSS.”

In another development, the army chief led troops on an inspection of Gamboru Ngala, a major town recaptured from Boko Haram.

In a statement released by the military, the destruction meted by the insurgents on the town was devastating, with infrastructures and other properties wrecked.

Buratai assured a jubilant crowed him and troops that the issue of Boko Haram would soon be a thing of the past, especially given the renewed motivation displayed by the soldiers, who are buoyed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to tackling insecurity.