Soldiers Kick Against Working With Repentant Boko Haram Members

Nigerian soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East have expressed concern over an alleged directive compelling them to work with repentant terrorists reintegrated by the Borno State Government.

NEWSNGR reports that the soldiers, who spoke to SaharaReporters, said the arrangement had caused unease among troops on the frontline.

Some of the soldiers alleged that former Boko Haram fighters had been attached to local security groups supporting military operations in parts of Borno State.

One soldier said, “The government wants to prove that the reintegration programme is working, so some of these ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members are being attached to security groups that work with troops in operations.

“But many of us are uncomfortable with the arrangement because there have been cases in the past where information leaked and operations were compromised. Trust is a major issue.”

Another source said soldiers remained sceptical about the loyalty of some of the former insurgents.

“We don’t trust them completely. There have been too many incidents in the past. That is why they are often given separate accommodation. Yet now there is pressure for us to work closely with them during our missions,” the source said.

The soldiers said the government should focus on providing better equipment, intelligence support and welfare for troops instead of compelling them to collaborate with former insurgents.

The source added, “You can see how these Boko Haram fighters have been killing our ogas. That should tell you there is a leak in information about their movements. Yet the government is asking us to trust these people and work with them. It won’t work.”

Borno Reintegrates Ex-Insurgents

The concerns came about two weeks after the Borno State Government reintegrated 720 repentant insurgents, 992 spouses and 2,050 children into various communities under its “Borno Model” deradicalisation programme.

The beneficiaries reportedly surrendered to security forces and underwent rehabilitation at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri before their return to society.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security, retired Brigadier General Abdullahi Ishaq, said the programme was part of the state’s non-kinetic approach to ending insurgency.

He said the initiative, which began in July 2021, was based on forgiveness, rehabilitation and community acceptance.

Ishaq added that more than 350,000 persons had left insurgent camps since the programme began, while 9,680 had been reintegrated in nine batches.