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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

‘350,000 terrorists surrendered in five years’

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Borno State government reports over 350,000 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered since implementing a non-kinetic program focused on deradicalization and reintegration.
  • A recent event marked the reintegration of 720 former insurgents, bringing the total number of reintegrated individuals, including spouses and children, to 9,680.
  • The Borno Model's non-kinetic approach is considered highly effective, aiming to reconcile former fighters with their communities through forgiveness and support.

Borno State is celebrating significant success in its non-kinetic approach to combating terrorism, with Governor Babagana Zulum's administration reporting that over 350,000 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered.

It has been a success story since July 5, 2021, when the good people of Borno State, under the stewardship of our dynamic leader, Prof Babagana Zulum, agreed to forgive and accept their sons who were willing to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

— Brgd Gen Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.)Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security, highlighting the program's success.

This figure comes from the state's Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) program, which aims to bring former insurgents back into society. The latest milestone was the reintegration of 720 individuals, identified as low-risk and minor clients, who swore oaths of allegiance and are now returning to their communities.

Today, the Borno Model is adjudged to be one of the most effective non-kinetic programmes in the history of mankind, with over 350,000 persons who willingly exited the bush and surrendered to the military.

— Brgd Gen Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.)Describing the effectiveness of the Borno Model's non-kinetic approach.

Brgd Gen Ishaq Abdullahi, the governor's Special Adviser on Security, highlighted the program's success since its inception on July 5, 2021. He stated that the "Borno Model" is recognized as one of history's most effective non-kinetic strategies against terrorism. To date, 9,680 clients, including the latest batch, have been reintegrated. This total also accounts for 992 spouses and 2,050 children who surrendered alongside the fighters.

The Borno Model has reintegrated 8,960 persons in Batches 1-8, and with today’s 720 clients (Batch 9), the figure has risen to 9,680 clients.

— Brgd Gen Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.)Providing the cumulative figure for reintegrated individuals.

The reintegration process involves former fighters exiting the bush, reporting to military locations for profiling, and surrendering weapons. They then undergo deradicalization programs in camps before receiving starter packs from the state government to aid their transition back into community life. Community leaders and the Civilian Joint Task Force/Hunters play a role in screening and recommending individuals for reintegration.

The clients seated before you were disarmed, demobilised, thoroughly deradicalised and rehabilitated.

— Brgd Gen Ishaq Abdullahi (retd.)Detailing the status of the reintegrated former insurgents.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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