Former Boko Haram Members Protest Against Abandonment At Deradicalization Camp

On Friday, in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, former members of the extremist group Boko Haram staged a protest claiming that the government had forsaken them.

Nearly 6,900 individuals, once affiliated with Boko Haram, had previously surrendered to Nigerian officials and disassociated themselves from the militant organization.

These former militants, currently in a deradicalization and rehabilitation program at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri, left the center to rally on the streets, demanding the N30,000 allowance they were promised by the government.

Their demonstration created unrest and traffic jams on the Bulumkutu – Maiduguri Highway until security forces intervened to alleviate the situation.

These ex-militants voiced their grievances, stating they felt compelled to protest in order to communicate their frustrations globally and to the authorities. They expressed concerns over insufficient food and lacking welfare provisions.

They said the authorities concerned had promised to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into the society to enable them live a lawful life as responsible Nigerians.

Reaction

Reacting to the development, the state’s commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, said ‘biometrics registration’ for repentant insurgents had resumed after the incident.

“As normalcy restored, officials of Borno State Government have on Friday resumed the biometrics data capture of repentant Boko Haram insurgents.

“A total of 6,900 repentant insurgents are processed under the multi-agency framework of Disarmament, Demobilisation, Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation, Reconciliation and Reintegration (DDDRRR) otherwise known as the “Borno Model,” Mr Tar added.

He explained that the data processing process was scheduled to be conducted in six batches by a certified team of intelligence and ICT experts with the utmost level of professionalism and confidentiality in data management.

“Due to a bridge in communication, those who were supposed to appear for the data capture at a later date appeared on Friday, August 18, 2023, and this led to confusion at a camp where the exercise was being conducted.

“The Borno State government wishes to assure the public that the situation is under control and normalcy has been restored at the venue of the biometric exercise.

“The incident illustrated the sensitive task which authorities face in re-inserting former fighters back into communities that have often suffered from years of attacks and kidnappings during a 13-year Islamist insurgency,” he concluded.