As the Borno State government plans to reintegrate the 1000 Boko Haram terrorists who recently surrendered to the Nigerian Army back into the society,
As the Borno State government plans to reintegrate the 1000 Boko Haram terrorists who recently surrendered to the Nigerian Army back into the society, controversies have trailed the move.
Many, including traditional rulers and religious leaders, and residents have lambasted the move, noting that it would be difficult for them to reintegrate the repentant terrorists into their communities.
As of August 12, 2021, about 1,000 Boko Haram terrorists had surrendered to the Nigerian troops at Konduga, Gwoza and Bama in Borno State, the Nigerian Army had said in a statement.
Army spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, had shared photos of the repentant Boko Haram terrorists, saying one Musa Adamu, a chief bomb expert of the insurgents, was one of those who surrendered.
The Army had distributed new clothes, assorted food items and toiletries to the surrendered insurgents and their families, totalling 335 fighters, 746 adult women and children, including one of the abducted Chibok girls.
Speaking with The Guardian, on Friday, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, said the surrendering to the military was a welcome development to both the state government and victims of terrorism.
According to him, “the Safe Corridor programme of the Army led to the de-radicalisation of repentant terrorists in Gombe State. But it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for us to reintegrate the repentant insurgents into our destroyed communities.”
El-Kanemi, who recalled that Boko Haram flattened Bama town and its College of Education in September 2014, said the fears of the people over the 12-year insurgency still remain and would continue, especially in communities where the surrendered terrorists would be reintegrated.
On whether innocent Borno residents would forgive the repentant terrorists, he said: “It is easy to forgive for the destruction of many lives and property, but difficult to forget the wanton loss of lives in the various communities of my chiefdom.”
The monarch warned that it would be difficult and dicey to allow the repentant terrorists to live in their respective communities.
A Maiduguri resident, Mallam Aminu Isa, also told the publication that the people had raised a lot of fears over allowing the repentant terrorists into their communities. He noted that residents and the Army still doubted the genuineness of the terrorists’ surrender from the Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, last Thursday, Senator Ali Ndume noted that the surrendering of the insurgents did not come to him as a surprise. He, however, stated that more must be done to the insurgents other than the pat on the back they were receiving at the moment.
He said:
“It didn’t come to me as a surprise actually, because I’ve been saying for a long time that the Armed Forces and other security agencies of the country are handicapped, otherwise, they have the capacity and the ability to prosecute this war. Now that what they need is given to them, you can see the results within this short time. And I’m expecting more. It is only that, as I have said before, there shouldn’t be blanket amnesty and pampering treatment to those who have surrendered.”
