The Borno State Government has reintegrated 720 repentant insurgents into their communities after completing a deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme.
Speaking during a ceremony in Maiduguri on Friday, Governor Babagana Zulum’s Special Adviser on Security, retired Brigadier General Ishaq Abdullahi, said the beneficiaries were classified as low-risk individuals and had taken an oath on the Holy Quran before their release.
He disclosed that over 350,000 former insurgents and their family members have surrendered since the programme began in 2021, with a total of 9,680 ex-fighters rehabilitated across nine batches.
The former fighters received counselling, religious education and vocational training in various trades, alongside starter packs to help them establish businesses and rebuild their lives.
Abdullahi described the initiative as a key part of Borno State’s non-military approach to restoring peace and stability in the North-East.
