FG: 5,000 Repentant Boko Haram Fighters Reunited with Families

• The National Counter Terrorism Centre reports reintegration of 5,000 former Boko Haram fighters, with no return to combat after deradicalization
• Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas emphasizes the importance of a unified strategy for managing Boko Haram exits and addressing regional security challenges

The National Counter Terrorism Centre, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, has announced that at least 5,000 former Boko Haram fighters have been successfully reintegrated with their families.

According to the centre, none of the ex-combatants have returned to the battlefield six months after completing the deradicalization programme.

Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, Head of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), revealed this during the second-day session of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum.

Speaking at the third-panel discussion, themed Managing Boko Haram Exits and Demobilization of Armed Groups, Abbas emphasized the importance of a unified strategy to help Lake Chad region governors address shared security challenges.

She stated that the Operation Safe Corridor initiative has rehabilitated over 5,000 former Boko Haram fighters into society.

“Through Operation Safe Corridor, we have deradicalized over 5,000 ex-combatants and reunited them with their families.

They are now using the skills acquired during their six-month rehabilitation programme to sustain themselves within their communities,” she explained.

She added that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and traditional and religious leaders across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas have been actively monitoring the reintegration process to track progress and ensure smooth assimilation.

Abbas also praised the Borno Model, a state-led initiative aimed at reintegrating individuals who have abandoned extremist groups like Boko Haram.

She noted that the model has significantly contributed to federal government efforts to promote peace.

“The Borno Model was developed out of necessity, and we have recorded remarkable success. Many repented fighters have now been reunited with their families,” she said.

She urged governors in the Lake Chad region to harmonize their reintegration strategies, ensuring a coordinated approach to addressing extremism in the region.