The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has formally expanded the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s surrender policy for non-state actors to all theatres of military operations across the country, opening the door for armed groups operating in the South-East, South-South and South-West to voluntarily lay down their weapons.
The development marks a significant shift in the military’s counter-insurgency and internal security strategy, as the surrender programme had previously been associated mainly with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the North-East, as well as bandits and other armed groups operating in parts of the North-West and North-Central.
Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, announced the policy expansion in Abuja while responding to questions on the recent surrender of suspected militants to troops of Operation UDO KA in the South-East.
Confirming that the surrender option is no longer limited to insurgency-ravaged northern regions, Onoja said every non-state actor willing
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