Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima has explained why the state government is providing for wives and children of Boko Haram fighters who were recently rescued by the Nigerian Army.

The governor made this explanation when he received some 568 women and children, rescued recently from Boko Haram captivity.

He said most of the fighters breed their offspring to take over from them, but the government through its care would ensure that they are not nurtured to be violent.

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,” Shettima said.

“An average male member of the Boko Haram has one great wish and that wish is for his son or daughter to inherit his doctrine of violence. The insurgents seriously take to child bearing as a strategy of not only multiplying their numbers but also producing children they hope, will continue from where their fathers stop in violent killings as their own form of worship.”

“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,” he added.

Azeez