Borno State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, has revealed that 6,900 Boko Haram fighters in custody among the over 200,000 surrendered terrorists in the state are to face prosecution.
The Commissioner also added that of the 200,000 surrendered terrorists, over 80,000 are innocent men and women used by the terrorists as slaves to farm for them.
Hajiya Gambo revealed this during the conclusion of a best practice dissemination and learning programme organised by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Tuesday.
She said,” A total of 200,000 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have thus far surrendered to the state government since the mass surrender began in 2021.
“Nearly 9,000 people have been reintegrated into the society, and the scheme has achieved notable success.
“Let me clarify, we have about 6,900 genuine Boko Haram fighters in our custody, and they will face transitional justice because they have committed crimes.
We are working on that; they are real fighters,” she declared.
Transitional justice is a peace-building mechanism that addresses the legacies of severe atrocities and ends recurring cycles of violent conflict through various responses, including restitution, reconciliation, prosecution, and amnesty.
The Executive Director of the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Hamsatu Allamin, stated that the surrendered individuals regretted their involvement with Boko Haram.
According to her, they expressed remorse for their membership in the terrorist group, citing a lack of knowledge and the ease with which insurgents brainwashed them into captivity.
“If Boko Haram used their ideology based on religion to brainwash people into joining them, we must also use religion to tell them the truth. Therefore, I suggest the government use religion to correct this troubling narrative,” she said.
Under the project ‘Building Bridges of Reconciliation: A Community-Based Approach to Deradicalisation of Women and Girls in Borno State,’ over 800 deradicalised women were sensitised and are now contributing to society.
She added, “They are prepared to embrace a new life free from violence and become responsible members of society, contributing to peacebuilding and the overall development of their communities.”
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