The Borno State Government has disclosed that it has successfully reintegrated 8,490 repentant Boko Haram members through the Borno Model process.
Professor. Usman Tar, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, told the Daily Trust during an oath-taking event organised for 560 repentant insurgents in Maiduguri on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
He said that they are low-risk and minors.
Also, he said they have been cleared by the military and other security agencies, along with the traditional leaders of their various communities.
In addition, he said the programme was successful and they had conducted surveys, which showed that those who were reintegrated into society never violated any rules, nor did they go back to the bushes.
“For the past three years, we have established the Borno Model for the mass return of insurgents and those who were trapped in the line of violence.
Today we are winning out an additional 560 returnees who are low-risk and minors.
They have been trained in phone repairs, mechanics, carpentry, and all sorts of trades,” Prof. Tar said.
“This platform has been very successful, so people should not be worried because of a few challenges.
The Borno Model
“The Office of the National Security Adviser has shown confidence in this process (the Borno Model), and we are working with other state governments who are exploring ways and means of adopting our Borno Model.”
Also speaking, the Borno State Special Adviser on Security Affairs, Brig. General Abdullahi Ishaq (rtd), explained that so far, the state government, through the Borno Model, has reintegrated 8,490 low-risk adults and minors into society.
“As I speak today, we have so far reintegrated a total of 8,490 low-risk adults and minors. In the past, we resettled 7,930 and now 560 people, many of them 10 years ago when insurgents invaded their villages and were forcefully taken away,” Ishaq said.
“There are almajirai, farmers, fishermen, and others who were forced against their will to join the Boko Haram sect; so, these are low-risk minors.
“The community leaders came here to screen and request that we release them to the community.
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“Many of them are from Konduga, Dikwa, Ngala, Marte, Kukawa, Mobbar, Bama, Gwoza, and other LGAs.
“After this training, they will also receive starter packs at the end of the programme before being returned to the communities that had screened them for the training,” he added.
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