The Borno State Government has reintegrated 720 former insurgents into their communities after they successfully completed a deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme under the state’s counter-insurgency initiative.
The beneficiaries, classified as low-risk individuals and minor clients, were released during a ceremony held at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri on Friday after taking an oath on the Holy Quran to renounce violence and embrace peaceful coexistence.
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Babagana Zulum, retired Brigadier General Ishaq Abdullahi, described the exercise as another major step in the state’s non-military strategy for addressing insurgency in the North-East.
Abdullahi said the programme, launched on July 5, 2021, has continued to encourage former fighters to voluntarily surrender and return to civilian life. According to him, more than 350,000 individuals have left insurgent camps and surrendered to security forces since the initiative began.
He noted that the latest batch brings the total number of rehabilitated and reintegrated former insurgents under the programme to 9,680 across nine batches. The reintegration effort also covered 992 spouses and 2,050 children associated with the ex-combatants.
According to Abdullahi, the rehabilitation process begins when insurgents voluntarily surrender to military authorities, where they undergo profiling, disarmament and security screening before being admitted into the programme.
Participants are subsequently enrolled in structured deradicalisation activities, including religious instruction, counselling sessions, civic education, health awareness campaigns and vocational training aimed at equipping them with skills for self-reliance.
The vocational programmes include carpentry, tailoring, metal fabrication, bricklaying, pottery, barbing, cap making, motorcycle repairs, vulcanising, phone repairs and solar installation, among others.
Abdullahi said the state government also provides starter packs and other support materials to help beneficiaries establish livelihoods after returning to their communities.
He added that traditional leaders, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and local hunters participated in the screening and verification process before the former insurgents were cleared for reintegration.
The beneficiaries were drawn from several local government areas, including Bama, Konduga, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Jere, Mafa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Damboa, Marte, Monguno, Kukawa, Ngala, Kala-Balge and Gubio.
He urged the returnees to remain law-abiding, contribute to community development and support ongoing peacebuilding efforts across the state.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Babagana Kadai, described the programme as a beacon of reconciliation, recovery and hope for communities affected by years of insurgency.
She commended Governor Zulum’s administration for sustaining initiatives aimed at rebuilding communities, resettling displaced persons and promoting lasting peace across Borno State.
