Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister for Information and Culture, has said it is against the global practice to prosecute repentant Boko Haram terrorists.

Mohammed said the ex-terrorists should rather be treated as prisoners of war.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the minister made the statement during his conversations with global media outlets in Washington DC.

“I personally spoke to the military authorities before I left Nigeria and they said what they were doing is what the global practice dictates about soldiers that surrender. They should be treated as prisoners of war,” NAN quoted Mohammed to have said.

READ ALSO: After Killing Many, Repentant Boko Haram Fighters Beg Nigerians for Forgiveness

The military recently received hundreds of Boko Haram fighters who fled their hideouts over the fear of hunger and diseases.

Some of the repentant insurgents paraded by the Army sought forgiveness from Nigerians. Photos shared on social media showed them holding placards that read: “Please, forgive us, Nigerians”.

On August 14, FIJ reported that residents and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno kicked against the reintegration of repentant Boko Haram members into society by the state government.

Zannah Mohammed, a resident of the state, said some of the repentant insurgents were behaving recklessly in the communities, under the protection of soldiers.