6,900 Boko Haram fighters in custody to face justice — Borno

No fewer than 6,900 individuals suspected of being Boko Haram fighters and currently in custody are to face transitional justice, according to the Borno State Government.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, revealed this during the conclusion of a best practice dissemination and learning programme organised by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Tuesday.

Zuwaira stated that a total of 200,000 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have thus far surrendered to the state government since the mass surrender began in 2021.

According to her, nearly 9,000 people have reintegrated into society, and the scheme has achieved notable success.

“So far, about 200,000 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered to the state government.

“Let me clarify, we have about 6,900 genuine Boko Haram fighters in our custody, and they will face transitional justice because they have committed crimes. We are working on that; they are real fighters,” she declared.

Transitional justice is a peace-building mechanism that

seeks to address the legacies of severe atrocities and end recurring cycles of violent conflict through a range of responses, including restitution, reconciliation, prosecution, and amnesty.

The Executive Director of the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Hamsatu Allamin, stated that the surrendered individuals regretted their involvement with Boko Haram.

According to her, they expressed remorse for their membership in the terrorist group, citing a lack of knowledge and the ease with which insurgents brainwashed them into captivity.

“If Boko Haram used their ideology based on religion to brainwash people into joining them, we must also use religion to tell them the truth. Therefore, I suggest that the government use religion to correct this troubling narrative,” she said.

Under the project ‘Building Bridges of Reconciliation: A Community-Based Approach to Deradicalisation of Women and Girls in Borno State,’ over 800 deradicalised women were sensitised and are now contributing to society.

“They are prepared to embrace a new life free from violence and become responsible members of society, contributing to peacebuilding and the overall development of their communities,” she added.