Borno govt defends rehabilitation of ex-terrorists, cites Quran oath as safeguard

The Borno State Government has defended its rehabilitation and reintegration programme for former insurgents, saying the process includes strict measures aimed at preventing beneficiaries from returning to terrorism.

 

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said one of the key safeguards in the Borno model is the oath taken with the Quran at the final stage of the deradicalisation process.

 

Speaking during an interview on News Central Television aired on Monday, Gambo said the oath carries serious spiritual implications for those involved.

 

“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.

 

She also argued that former insurgents who attempt to return to terrorist camps after surrendering risk being killed by their former allies.

 

“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 added.

 

Gambo, however, identified inadequate funding as a major challenge affecting the implementation of the rehabilitation programme.

 

“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.

 

Public debate around the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme, also known as Operation Safe Corridor, intensified after the graduation and planned reintegration of 744 former insurgents.

 

Of the total number, 597 beneficiaries were from Borno State, while others came from Adamawa, Yobe, Kano and other states.

 

The programme has continued to attract criticism from stakeholders who questioned the transparency of the process and the extent to which victims of insurgency are considered.

 

President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, warned that reintegration efforts must not ignore those affected by terrorism.

 

“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, Amnesty International Nigeria’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said the government must be more transparent about the identities and backgrounds of the rehabilitated individuals.

 

“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 stated.