Repentant Terrorists Take Quran Oath Before Reintegration — Borno Govt

The Borno State Government has defended its rehabilitation and reintegration programme for former terrorists, saying repentant insurgents are required to swear an oath with the Quran before being returned to society.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the oath-taking process forms a crucial part of the Borno model for deradicalisation and is intended to discourage ex-fighters from returning to violent activities.

“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.

Gambo added that insurgents who surrender to authorities are often viewed as traitors by terrorist groups, making it difficult for them to safely return to armed groups.

“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 stated.

The commissioner, however, acknowledged that funding remains one of the major challenges affecting the programme.

According to her, providing food, clothing, education and rehabilitation support for large numbers of former insurgents requires significant financial resources.

“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 comments come amid public debate over the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor programme, which recently graduated and prepared 744 former terrorists for reintegration into society.

Most of the beneficiaries were from Borno State, while others came from Adamawa, Yobe, Kano and other states.

The programme has continued to attract criticism from some stakeholders who argue that the process lacks transparency and adequate accountability.

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, had warned that reintegrating former terrorists without addressing the grievances of victims could create perceptions of injustice.

Similarly, Amnesty International Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi, called for greater transparency regarding the identities and roles of those being rehabilitated.

Sanusi said the government should clearly disclose the extent of each participant’s involvement in terrorist activities to reassure affected communities.