The Borno State Government has reintegrated 720 former Boko Haram fighters into their communities after they completed a rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme.
The development brought the total number of ex-insurgents processed under the initiative to nearly 10,000, officials said on Friday.
The former fighters were reintegrated alongside 992 women and 2,050 children after undergoing rehabilitation at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri, where surrendered insurgents are profiled, deradicalised and trained in vocational skills before being returned to society.
Speaking at the reintegration ceremony on Friday, the Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security, Abdullahi Ishaq, a retired brigadier general, said the beneficiaries had voluntarily surrendered to military authorities at different times during counter-insurgency operations in the North-east.
“Today, the Borno Model is adjudged to be one of the most effective non-kinetic programmes with over 350,000 persons that willingly exited the bush and surrendered to the military,” Mr Ishaq said.
“A total of 720 men, 992 spouses and 2,050 children who had repented and surrendered to troops are to be reintegrated after many of them were deradicalised, disarmed, rehabilitated at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri and acquired various skills through skills acquisition programmes.”
According to him, many of the former insurgents were persuaded to surrender by colleagues who had previously left insurgent camps and successfully reunited with their families and communities.
“Their way back from the bush began with a call from their colleagues encouraging them to surrender, embrace peace and reunite with their parents,” he said.
Nearly 10,000 reintegrated
Mr Ishaq said the latest beneficiaries constitute the ninth batch under the state’s reintegration programme.
He said 8,960 former insurgents had been reintegrated in the first eight batches, bringing the cumulative figure to 9,680 with Friday’s exercise.
“The clients seated in front of you were disarmed, demobilised, thoroughly deradicalised and rehabilitated,” he said.
The beneficiaries, he added, came from several local government areas affected by the insurgency, including Bama, Konduga, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Jere, Mafa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Damboa, Marte, Monguno, Kukawa, Ngala, Kala-Balge and Gubio.
Mr Ishaq said community leaders, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local hunters participated in screening the former fighters before recommending them for reintegration.
He added that the state government provided starter packs to the beneficiaries and their spouses to support their livelihoods after leaving the camp.
Before their reintegration, the former insurgents reportedly swore on the Quran not to return to insurgent activities.
Path from surrender to rehabilitation
According to Mr Ishaq, those who left insurgent camps typically reported at the nearest military formation, where they underwent initial profiling and surrendered any weapons in their possession.
He said those accepted into the programme were later transferred to the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri for documentation, rehabilitation and deradicalisation.
“Unfortunately, some left their camps but could not make it to any military location before they were arrested and killed,” he said.
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Background
For years, Borno State has pursued a combination of military and non-military approaches to address the Boko Haram insurgency, which has devastated communities across Nigeria’s North-east, killing thousands of people and displacing millions.
The reintegration programme forms part of the state’s broader deradicalisation strategy aimed at encouraging defections from insurgent groups and supporting long-term stabilisation efforts.
However, the policy has remained contentious, with some victims of insurgent violence and affected communities expressing concerns over the return of former fighters to civilian populations.
State authorities have consistently defended the programme, arguing that it complements military operations by creating pathways for insurgents willing to abandon violence and reintegrate into society.