A total of 720 repentant Boko Haram members have been reintegrated into their communities after completing a government-backed rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme in Borno State.
The exercise also covered 992 women and 2,050 children linked to the surrendered fighters, bringing the total number of beneficiaries under the latest phase of the programme to thousands.
According to the state government, the returnees voluntarily abandoned insurgency and surrendered to security forces before undergoing rehabilitation and reintegration processes.
Speaking on Friday in Maiduguri, the Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security, Brigadier General Abdullahi Ishaq (rtd), said the programme forms part of the state’s non-kinetic approach to addressing insurgency.
He said participants underwent disarmament, deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and vocational training to prepare them for civilian life before being cleared for reintegration.
“Those returning today have gone through extensive rehabilitation and have shown readiness to become productive members of society. They have embraced peace and chosen a different path,” he said.
Ishaq added that the initiative has become a key pillar of Borno’s peacebuilding strategy, noting that more than 350,000 individuals had at various times exited insurgent enclaves and surrendered over the years.
He explained that surrendered persons were first screened and profiled by security agencies, while those with weapons handed them over before entering the rehabilitation programme.
According to him, community leaders, Civilian Joint Task Force members, and local hunters also participated in screening processes to strengthen transparency and public confidence.
He further disclosed that the latest batch brings the total number of rehabilitated and reintegrated individuals under the “Borno Model” to 9,680.
To support their reintegration, the state government provided starter packs and other assistance to beneficiaries and their families.
Ishaq urged the returnees to remain law-abiding, embrace peace, and contribute positively to their communities as they begin a new phase of life.