The families of insurgents currently been rehabilitated by the Borno State Government grew on Friday as 566 Boko Haram orphans and widows were handed over to the State by the military in Maiduguri.

The handing over was done by the General Officer Commanding the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Victor Ezugwu, a Brigadier General, at a newly opened rehabilitation and reintegration center ‎in Maiduguri

They include 355 babies, 149 breastfeeding mothers and 62 under-aged children evacuated from Boko Haram camps during clearance operations the Nigerian Army.

Governor Kashim Shettima reiterated that his administration will continue to cater for the children and families of the insurgents in order to break the Boko Haram cycle of violence as a way of securing the future of the state.

He said: “Our ultimate aim in taking custody of families of insurgents is to cut the cycle of violence so as to secure the future of Borno State.

“Our aim is to give education to the children of the insurgents so that these children will grow to despise the values and doctrines their parents lived and preached.

The governor vowed that “The children will not be trained with any element of hate for their parents, they won’t even be told about the ways of their parents so that they don’t grow with deflated self-esteem.

“These children will be raised like every other child, they will be raised to love and not to hate like their parents wished for them.

“They will be trained to save lives and contribute to building and growing communities not to take lives and destroy communities like their parents would wish. This is why we are determined to take care of these children.

“I am speaking in English knowing that they don’t hear what I am saying because we don’t want them to have low self-esteem. We will train them to have big dreams and to pursue their dreams of becoming productive citizens.”

He expressed optimism that some of the children will become future leaders and renowned professionals.

“They will insha Allah, contribute to nation building and part of the future of Borno State. We must love and care for each other,” he maintained

He urged the people of the state not to discriminate against the families of the insurgents as most of them were innocent of the crimes committed by their spouses.

The governor said: “In our societies, a lot of women neither know what their husbands do nor do they have control over their husbands.

“Our security forces do thorough investigation in ensuring that anyone freed is proven innocent of violent activities.

“As for the children, they are innocent little souls who have got absolutely nothing to do with the sins of their fathers.

“They didn’t determine their parents, they were brought to life without any prior knowledge of the violence their parents perpetuate.

“I have seen some people criticise us on the social media but I think whoever criticizes what we are doing should be forgiven for making expression out of ignorance on the basis of what we are doing,” governor Shettima explained.