Army: Nearly 6,000 extremists surrender in northeast Nigeria

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The Nigerian army says nearly 6,000 Boko Haram militants have surrendered in the country’s northeast in recent weeks, marking one of the largest surrenders since the insurgency began.  The army said the Islamist extremists laid down their arms because of the counter-insurgency efforts in the northeast, where the extremist group has been waging an insurgency for 12 years. But some experts believe other fighters are leaving because they do not want to join Boko Haram’s breakaway faction. That splinter group known as the Islamic State West Africa Province is now trying to gain control of areas previously under the command of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, whose death was reported in May.