The special adviser on security to the governor of Sokoto State, Colonel Ahmed Usman (rtd), has called on the state government to strengthen its support mechanisms to complement military efforts in ongoing counterinsurgency operations.
This appeal aims to ensure the full reintegration of 390 repentant Boko Haram members.
In an interview with newsmen on security challenges in the North, Col. Usman emphasised that while the Nigerian Army has fulfilled its responsibility of deradicalising and rehabilitating former insurgents through the Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) programme under Operation Safe Corridor, it is now the duty of state governments, community leaders, and society members to help these individuals fully reintegrate into society.
“These individuals have undergone intensive psychological counselling, vocational training, and civic education at the DRR camp and are no longer a threat,“ Usman said. However, the success of their transformation depends heavily on how well they are accepted and reintegrated into their communities.
The 390 ex-combatants, identified as Special Batch 6/2024 and Sulhu Batch 7/2024 clients, were recently handed over to their respective state governments after completing their programme. They have acquired skills in trades such as carpentry, tailoring, welding, agriculture, and shoemaking.
Col. Usman urged local authorities, community leaders, and civil society organisations to work closely with the state government in designing sustainable reintegration plans. He stressed the need for community sensitisation and economic empowerment initiatives to prevent recidivism and promote long-term peace.
„Peace is not achieved by weapons alone. We must embrace inclusive strategies that foster trust, rebuild livelihoods, and give these individuals a second chance. Reintegration is a shared responsibility,“ he said.
The DRR programme, launched in 2016, is part of the Nigerian military‘s non-kinetic approach to ending insurgency in the Northeast and other affected regions. It aims to encourage defections from insurgent groups and offer a path back into civilian life for repentant fighters.
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