Former members of Boko Haram have opened up about how coercion, misinformation, profound hardship, and growing disillusionment ultimately drove them to break away from the insurgency and surrender to Nigerian authorities.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Several former fighters, currently undergoing rehabilitation in Maiduguri, Borno State, shared that they spent years trapped inside terrorist camps before choosing to re-enter society through the state government’s non-kinetic reintegration initiative.

Journeys of Forced Recruitment and Regret

According to a report by The Sun, a former fighter named Liman recounted that he was intercepted by insurgents around Kross Kawa in northern Borno in 2014 while trying to flee escalating insecurity in Kukawa. Separated into groups and subjected to intense ideological indoctrination, Liman eventually resolved to escape a life he grew to recognize as untenable.

Another former combatant, Mohammed Ibrahim, expressed deep regret over spending more than a decade bearing arms for the group, noting that he wished he had pursued a more meaningful path with his life. Similarly, a former high-ranking cleric within the group, Malam Bashir, revealed that he fell out with late leader Abubakar Shekau after challenging distorted interpretations of Islamic teachings. Bashir stated that he was subsequently jailed in Sambisa and faced execution before escaping during internal clashes between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Overcoming Propaganda and Fear

The former insurgents disclosed that movement and communication inside the enclaves were heavily restricted. They also noted that leadership routinely relied on psychological warfare and misinformation—such as false claims that the military would execute anyone who surrendered or inject them with lethal drugs—to deter members from leaving.

However, external touchpoints gradually pierced through the isolation. For a former member named Idrissa, heartfelt appeals from his mother and friends via social media and community messaging campaigns provided the vital encouragement he needed to walk away from the insurgency.

The Borno Model and Reintegration Efforts

Military authorities report that over 100,000 insurgents and family members have voluntarily laid down their arms over the past five years, a trend catalyzed by the introduction of the Borno Model in July 2021.

Governor Babagana Zulum has championed this initiative as a community-driven, non-kinetic strategy centered on dialogue, rehabilitation, and voluntary surrender. The state’s Special Adviser on Security, retired Brig.-Gen. Abdullahi Ishaq, explained that the framework operates on three primary pillars:

• Disarmament, Demobilization, and Deradicalization (DDL): Participants undergo civic education, religious reorientation, and lessons on Nigerian law.

• Vocational Training: Former fighters are equipped with practical skills such as carpentry, plumbing, welding, phone repairs, and barbering.

• Community Involvement: Unlike past initiatives, local leaders, religious clerics, and security personnel are actively engaged in screening and vetting participants, ensuring smoother acceptance and significantly reducing community resistance.

To date, authorities confirm that 9,680 low-risk former fighters and their dependents have been successfully reintegrated. Programs have also allowed children from these families to resume formal schooling alongside their traditional Islamic education.

Ahmed Shehu, Chairman of the North-East Civil Society Organisations Forum, emphasized the pragmatic necessity of the peacebuilding process, noting that society faces a clear choice between embracing forgiveness and rehabilitation or continuing an endless cycle of conflict.