Some of the ‘repentant terrorists’ undergoing rehabilitation in Maiduguri, Borno State yesterday, pleaded with citizens to forgive them of their past deeds with a promise never to return to their past.
The ‘repentant terrorists’ who are among the over 12,000 of them undergoing rehabilitation alongside their family members at Hajj camp Maiduguri, also called on the others still in the bushes to surrender and embrace peace to live a better life they are experiencing presently against their past difficult lives in the forests.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) a non-governmental organisation in collaboration with the Borno State government yesterday embarked on the engagement of the ex-combatants on community services as part of the process of re-integrating them to the society and endearing them to the people.
The over 400 people being rehabilitated will take charge of environmental sanitation of the camp and would from time to time be engaged on sanitation exercise in various communities of the state as part of the reintegration process.
Speaking to our correspondent, the duo of Ali Simiri from Konduga and Abdullahi Haruna of Gwoza local government areas who said they came out from the Sambisa forest about three months ago, added that they are calling on others to surrender to bring a lasting peace and development in the state and region, noting that the condition they found themselves now is better than life in the bush.
Addressing journalists during the sanitation exercise in the Hajj camp, Prof. Mala Mustapha, fesearch fellow of CDD, said the rationale behind the excercise was for the organisation to support Borno State government as part of preparatory work for the reintegration of the ex-combatants.
Prof Mustapha said that was the reason the CDD felt it imperative to change the narrative particularly, negative perception among communities against embracing the repentant terrorists.
“So, as part of this, we came up with this initiative in order to rebuild relationship and trust between those that surrendered and community members,” he said.
Brig. Gen Abdullahi Ishaq, Special Adviser to Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum on security Matters, said the excercise was a welcome development for the repentant terrorists to participate in the sanitation exercise as a process of uniting them with the people.
“Every Saturday they will clean up the environment, we have three camps. We are starting with Hajj camp and we want to extend it to communities so that on sanitation days they will also come out and join other citizens to clean up the environment,” he said.
