The President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Government, on Friday, admitted that indeed 101 convicted terrorists and those awaiting trial were released from the Kirikiri Custodial Centre in Lagos, a few days after news broke of the development,
The Federal Government added that they were taken to Operation Safe Corridor and are currently undergoing the process of deradicalisation at the Centre.
The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Lucky Irabor, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the National Security Council, NSC, meeting, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
Irabor and some Ministers, including the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi; attended the NSC meeting chaired by President Buhari.
Recall, that controversies had surrounded the release of the 101 convicted terrorists, after the last batch of the kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna bound train travellers on March 28, were released on October 5.
It was alleged that the Federal Government had released the terrorists in exchange of the kidnapped train victims.
Reacting, the CDS said: “The Council was also briefed that a total of 101 ex-combatants were taken to Operation Safe Corridor, and currently undergoing the process of deradicalisation at the Centre.
“These were ex-combatants that have been in detention for several years, some of whom have served their terms, others were those who were awaiting trial, because of the long time that they have been involved and in line with the procedure for handling anyone who has been exposed to terrorism and related offences.”
Speaking also, Aregbesola stated that the terrorists were moved for deradicalisation and onward reintegration into the society, noting that there was a court order to that effect.
His words: “Actually, there was a judicial order on them which necessitated their transfer from the Detention Centre to the Deradicalisation Camp. So, those are the only thing I could add, that as a result of a legal decision on their status in detention, those 101 ex-combatants which you want to refer to as terrorist detainees, had been moved from the Custodial facility to a more appropriate camp for deradicalisation.”
More news later…
