Repentant Terrorists Swear Quran Oath Before Reintegration — Borno Govt

Repentant Terrorists Swear Quran Oath Before Reintegration — Borno Govt

The Borno State Government has defended its controversial rehabilitation and reintegration programme for former insurgents, insisting that repentant terrorists undergo a strict deradicalisation process that includes swearing an oath with the Quran before being returned to society.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the oath-taking process is a central part of the “Borno model” designed to discourage former fighters from returning to terrorism and violent extremism.

Speaking amid growing public criticism of Nigeria’s reintegration policy for ex-insurgents, Gambo explained that individuals who complete the rehabilitation process are required to publicly commit themselves to peaceful living through a Quranic oath.

“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.

According to the commissioner, insurgents who surrender to government authorities are usually branded as traitors by terrorist groups, making it difficult for them to safely return to the bush.

“People assume that they will go back to the bush; well, they may, but they are dead on arrival.

“The moment you step out and surrender to constituted authority, you become an infidel,” she added.

The comments come at a time when the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor programme has again sparked national debate over the rehabilitation and reintegration of former Boko Haram fighters and other insurgents.

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Recently, no fewer than 744 former terrorists and victims of violent extremism graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Camp in Gombe State under the programme.

Official records showed that the majority of the beneficiaries came from Borno State, while others were drawn from Adamawa, Yobe, Kano and several other states. Reports also indicated that a few foreign nationals from neighbouring countries including Chad, Cameroon, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso participated in the programme.

Military authorities described the initiative as a non-kinetic counterterrorism strategy aimed at weakening extremist networks, reducing violence and encouraging defections from terrorist groups operating in the North-East.

The programme reportedly combines psychosocial support, vocational training, religious counselling, civic education and behavioural reorientation to prepare former insurgents for reintegration into their communities.

However, the initiative has continued to attract criticism from many Nigerians, legal experts, victims’ groups and civil society organisations who question the transparency of the process and the absence of adequate justice for victims of terrorism.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, recently warned that reintegrating former terrorists without addressing the concerns of victims could create a dangerous perception of injustice and undermine public confidence in the country’s counterterrorism efforts.

Similarly, Amnesty International Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi, called on the Federal Government to provide more transparency regarding the identities and specific roles played by those being rehabilitated.

According to him, affected communities deserve to know the extent of each participant’s involvement in terrorist activities before such individuals are reintegrated into society.

Despite the criticisms, the Borno State Government insists that the deradicalisation process is carefully monitored and remains necessary for achieving long-term peace in the region after more than a decade of insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions across Nigeria’s North-East.

Gambo also admitted that funding remains one of the biggest challenges confronting the programme, noting that government authorities must provide food, shelter, education and rehabilitation support for large numbers of former fighters and affected persons.

“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, clothe them and provide them with access to education?” she asked.

The debate surrounding repentant terrorists, Operation Safe Corridor, and the reintegration of former insurgents continues to divide public opinion, with supporters describing the initiative as a pathway to peace while critics argue that justice for victims should take priority.

Repentant Terrorists Swear Quran Oath Before Reintegration — Borno Govt