By Rita Amaechi | National News
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced the expansion of its surrender policy for non-state armed groups across the country, extending the initiative beyond the North-East, North-West and North-Central to include the South-East, South-South and South-West.
The development means that members of armed groups operating in the newly covered regions can voluntarily surrender and be processed in accordance with Nigerian laws and international humanitarian standards.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed the policy shift while addressing journalists in Abuja in response to questions regarding the recent surrender of suspected militants to troops of Operation UDO KA in the South-East.
According to Onoja, the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain open to receiving any non-state actor willing to lay down arms.
“They are welcome to surrender. The Armed Forces will receive them in line with international law and the Geneva Conventions before handing them over to the appropriate legal authorities for necessary action,” he said.
He stressed that military operations would continue despite the open-door policy, noting that there is no deadline for those wishing to surrender.
“They are free to surrender at any time. However, our kinetic operations are being intensified across the theatres of operation,” Onoja added.
The announcement follows recent successes recorded by troops of Operation UDO KA in the South-East, where sustained military offensives reportedly forced some militants to surrender.
According to the military, troops of the 82 Division and Joint Task Force South-East recovered an AK-47 rifle, two AK-47 magazines, 54 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and four locally fabricated firearms after one of the suspects led soldiers to the group’s armoury.
In a separate intelligence-led operation, security forces also recovered two General Purpose Machine Guns, 45 rounds of ammunition and an improvised explosive device.
Military authorities described the voluntary surrender as evidence that ongoing operations, intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies are weakening criminal networks and encouraging armed fighters to abandon violence.
The South-East has witnessed recurring attacks on security personnel, public facilities and civilians in recent years, prompting the military to launch Operation UDO KA to restore peace and dismantle criminal groups operating in the region.
Until now, the surrender programme had been largely associated with Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents and armed bandits operating in northern parts of the country.
The latest expansion signals a broader national application of the policy, making it available to non-state actors in all major operational theatres across Nigeria.
