Repentant Boko Haram Members Sabotaging Terrorism War – Borno Gov., Zulum

Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, says repentant Boko Haram members end up as informants for the terrorists group, asserting that the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of the group has aggravated the problems it was meant to address.

Recall that the military in 2016 launched Operation Safe Corridor, an initiative for the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of ex-Boko Haram members.

The aim of the operation, the military said, is to reabsorb repentant Boko Haram members into society. More than 500 ex-Boko Haram members have already completed the programme.

But while speaking at the North-East Governors’ Forum meeting in Bauchi on Thursday, Zulum said the initiative was not working as it has not yielded the desire but has instead undermined the efforts being made to tackle the decade long insurgency.

He averred that the programme needed to be reviewed because some of the ex-Boko Haram members only come to spy on communities and then return to join the group and provide it with information.

He said the goals and underlying objectives of the initiative have not been achieved.

“Another aspect of the war against the insurgency that needs to be urgently reviewed or modified, is the issue of deradicalisation of Boko Haram terrorists, who have been captured or have willingly surrendered themselves to the authorities,” he said.

“It has been confirmed that the concept of deradicalisation or Safe Corridor is not working as expected. Quite often, those who have passed through the Safe Corridor initiative, or have been deradicalised, usually go back and rejoin the terror group after carefully studying the various security arrangements in their host communities, during the reintegration process.

“In addition, the host communities where the reintegration process is going on usually resent the presence of Boko Haram terrorists, even if they have been deradicalised, because of the despicable and atrocious activities they have committed in the past.

“So the idea of deradicalisation, as currently being implemented, needs to be reviewed because the main goals and the underlying objectives behind the initiative are not being achieved.”

The governor averred that the best option is to immediately prosecute the insurgents in accordance with the terrorism Act.

He said those people who were forcefully recruited but have been rescued or have escaped from the group, should be the ones to undergo the rehabilitation and deradicalisation.

The governor bemoaned the delay on the prosecution of insurgents. He said prosecutorial powers should be devolved to the state attorneys-general to make the process faster.

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