The Borno State Government has dismissed fears that repentant terrorists reintegrated into society through rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes could return to insurgency.
The state government said a major aspect of the programme involves participants swearing an oath with the Quran, a measure officials believe discourages them from returning to terrorism.
Speaking during an interview on News Central TV aired on Monday, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the oath carries serious spiritual and moral consequences.
“When they come to us through all the processes of the Borno model, the last thing they do is, they take an oath with the Quran. Once you swear by the Quran, you know the implication,” she said.
Gambo added that former insurgents who renounce violence and surrender to authorities are often viewed as traitors by extremist groups.
“People assume that they will go back to the bush; well, they may, but they are dead on arrival. So, it is not even about whether they have been certified or we trust them or not. The law of the jungle takes care of that. The moment you step out, and you surrender to the constituted authority, you become an infidel,” she stated.
The commissioner, however, acknowledged that the programme continues to face major challenges, particularly inadequate funding.
“The challenge, of course, has to do with funding, because you bring a lot of people on board, but how are you going to feed them, how are you going to clothe and provide for them with necessary access to education,” she said.
The remarks come amid growing public criticism over the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor initiative.
On April 19, reports emerged that 744 former terrorists had completed the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme.
According to the report, 597 of the beneficiaries came from Borno State, while others were drawn from Adamawa, Yobe, Kano and other states.
The development sparked nationwide debate over transparency, accountability and the effect of reintegration on victims of insurgency.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, said although rehabilitation policies were not inherently wrong, the process raised concerns about secrecy and oversight.
“Reintegrating persons who may have unleashed violence or burned properties or committed other criminal activities into communities without addressing the hurt of the victims would appear as compensating perpetrators while overlooking the victims,” he said.
Similarly, Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, stressed that international law supports reintegration for those who surrender, but argued that Nigeria’s process lacked transparency.
“There are serious concerns that some of those called repentant sometimes go back to what they do. The government must be transparent about who they are and their level of involvement. Tell the people who these people are, what kind of terrorism they were involved in, and whether they were informants or killers. These things have to be made very clear,” Sanusi said.