Posted by Chinenye on Tue 12th May, 2026 - tori.ng
The Borno State Government has defended its rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme for repentant insurgents, insisting that participants who swear an oath on the Quran are unlikely to return to extremist activities.
(Repentant Boko Haram members. Photo by punch news)
The Borno State Government has moved to reassure the public that repentant terrorists who have been reintegrated into society following its rehabilitation and deradicalization programme are unlikely to return to extremism. A central element of the programme, officials say, is requiring participants to swear an oath on the Quran — a measure considered sufficiently binding to deter them from taking up arms again.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, made this known during an interview on Newscentral Television aired on Monday. She explained that breaking an oath sworn on the Quran carries serious religious consequences, which she believes serves as a powerful deterrent.
She also noted that any former militant who surrenders to constituted authority and subsequently returns to militancy effectively becomes an outcast within the militant community itself, rendering their return extremely dangerous for them personally.
However, the Commissioner acknowledged that funding remains a significant challenge to the smooth running of the programme, particularly in meeting the basic needs of participants such as food, clothing, and access to education.
This comes against the backdrop of a report by PUNCH Online on April 19, which highlighted widespread public concern over the graduation and planned reintegration of 744 former terrorists under the Federal Government's Operation Safe Corridor programme.
Of the beneficiaries, 597 were from Borno State, with others drawn from Adamawa, Yobe, Kano, and several other states. The development sparked intense debate around transparency, accountability, and the potential impact of reintegration on victims of violent extremism.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, acknowledged that the policy is not inherently flawed but raised concerns about the lack of oversight and secrecy surrounding it.
He cautioned that reintegrating individuals who may have committed violent acts without adequately addressing the grievances of their victims risks appearing to reward perpetrators while ignoring those who suffered.
Similarly, the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, noted that while international law supports the reintegration of those who surrender, the Nigerian process lacks the transparency necessary to inspire public confidence.
He called on the government to be open about the identities of those being reintegrated, the nature of their involvement in terrorism, and whether they served as informants or were directly responsible for killings.