Nigeria to reintegrate repentant terrorists into society

Boko Haram terrorists who had surrendered themselves would be reintegrated into society, the Nigerian government has said.

The government had put in place a number of strategies to ensure that insurgents who were turning themselves in undergo a process of de-radicalisation and rehabilitation, while those refusing to give up arms would face the law, Mike Omeri, coordinator of Nigeria's National Information Centre, said Thursday.

The killing of Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, had dealt a heavy blow to his followers, and most of the terrorists were fleeing, Omeri told reporters in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

He added that the killing had boosted the morale of the government troops and they had found an effective strategy against the terrorists, Xinhua reported.

Analysts say this development further confirms the recent progress in Nigeria's counter-terrorism approach in ending years of insurgency by the Boko Haram, a major security threat in the West African country.

On Sunday, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters confirmed that some Boko Haram fighters had begun to surrender voluntarily. Some 148 terrorists had given up their arms.

At least 13 insurgents were killed Friday in an exchange of fire with Nigerian forces after a local market was attacked in the same northeastern state.

The Boko Haram seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law in the Nigerian constitution.