The Nigerian army says it has commenced a process of de-radicalising repentant Boko Haram members.

This announcement was part of the weekly briefing of the army’s mop up operations in the northeast.

Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, Theatre Commander of the Operation Lafia Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor, also listed other successes made in the past week.

The force has also advised civilians in the northeast region of Nigeria to be security conscious and vigilant, as fleeing insurgents could infiltrate their communities.

According to the military, the dislodgement of Boko Haram insurgents from their last bastion in Sambisa Forest, had forced the insurgents to flee in different directions.

A retired military officer, also warned authorities to be vigilante as the war against terrorists may not have been completely won. He said: “with all these terrorists now scattered all over, they would now resort to hiding and going back to other unconventional methods in our major cities such as Abuja, Lagos, Maiduguri, among others.”