The Borno State Government has reintegrated 720 repentant insurgents into society following the successful completion of a deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme aimed at restoring peace in the insurgency-ravaged North-East.
The former fighters, classified as low-risk and minor clients under Batch 9 of the state’s rehabilitation initiative, were formally released after taking an oath on the Holy Quran and pledging to live peacefully within their communities.
The exercise took place on Friday at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri, where government officials, security personnel and community stakeholders gathered to mark the completion of the programme.
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Babagana Zulum, Brigadier General Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.), described the reintegration as another major step in the state’s non-kinetic strategy for tackling insurgency.
According to him, the rehabilitation scheme has emerged as one of the most effective peacebuilding models in the world, providing an alternative pathway for former insurgents willing to abandon violence and embrace lawful living.
The 720 beneficiaries are expected to return to their respective communities across Borno State, where they will begin a new chapter after undergoing months of counselling, vocational training and reorientation.
The development comes as authorities continue to combine military operations with rehabilitation efforts in a bid to end more than a decade of insurgency and rebuild communities devastated by conflict.
Further details obtained by this online newspaper indicate that the latest reintegration is part of ongoing efforts by the Borno State Government to encourage defections from terrorist groups while promoting long-term peace, reconciliation and social stability in the region.
