Borno State reintegrates 720 former insurgents and families

The Borno State Government has reintegrated 720 former insurgents, along with 992 spouses and 2,050 children, into their communities after they completed a state-run rehabilitation and deradicalisation program. The ceremony on June 12 marked the ninth batch of participants in the initiative, known as the Borno Model, which aims to encourage surrender and a return to civilian life through counseling and vocational training. Officials said the individuals had voluntarily surrendered to security forces and were classified as low-risk before undergoing a screening process involving community leaders and local security groups.

The program, launched in July 2021, is a central part of the government's non-kinetic counterinsurgency strategy. Brigadier General Abdullahi Ishaq, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Babagana Zulum, stated that with this latest group, a total of 9,680 former insurgents have now been reintegrated since the program began. He described the initiative as one of the most successful peacebuilding efforts in the country. The rehabilitation process included religious instruction, psychosocial support, and skills training in trades such as tailoring, carpentry,...