800 repentant members of the Boko Haram terrorist group, who are currently undergoing rehabilitation and de-radicalization programmes at a military facility in Gombe State, has been presented with relief materials by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.

A statement signed by spokesman of the agency, Sani Datti, quoted NEMA’s director-general, Muhammad Sani Sidi, as saying that similar exercises would be carried out on quarterly basis

The relief items include: 410 bags of rice, 400 bags of beans, 200 bags of millet, 200 bags of sorghum, 750 cartons of spaghetti, 50 cartons of Maggi cubes and 810 cartons tomato paste. Others are 101 Vegetable oil in 20 liter kegs, 101 palm oil in 20 liter kegs, 50 bags of salt, 100 bags of sugar, 420 cartons of milk and 420 cartons of milo chocolate.

While the non-food items include; 800 pieces of mattress, 500 hundred pieces of blanket, 500 pieces of nylon mats, 1000 plastic buckets, 1000 plastic spoons, 1000 plastic cups 1000, plastics plates, 1000 plastic pairs of slippers, 2000 men’s wear, 63 cartons of bath soap and 1000 bath towels.

Datti stated that the food and non-food items was presented to the military for the de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration of the former terrorists who had repented and surrendered to the military in a programme codenamed “Operation Safe Corridor”, which is aimed at fast-tracking the peace process in the North East.

According to the statement, NEMA’s DG said; “The initiative, which is in line with international best practices allowed those engaged in the fighting to voluntarily surrender and embrace peace so that they undergo rehabilitation’’.

Coordinator of “Operation Safe Corridor, B. M. Shafa, a brigadier general, said that “between September last year and February this year a good number of Boko haram (members) have come out to surrender.”

Shafa commended the Gombe State Government led by Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo for providing the location and the necessary support to the army.