2,168 former terrorists affiliated with Boko Haram have completed the FG programme

The Federal Government’s De-radicalization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) project in Gombe State has graduated no fewer than 2,168 contrite members of Boko Haram.

During a courtesy visit by Borno Deputy Governor Dr. Usman Kadafur on Thursday, Col. Abiodun Johnson, the Commandant of the DRR Camp, Operation Safe Corridor, made this statement.

Read Also: Troop arrest two people from Kaduna for giving terrorists weapons

According to Johnson, the customers had completed a number of medical screenings, psychiatric and psycho-spiritual counselling, sports therapy, drug misuse counselling, and western education programmes in addition to numerous rebuilding initiatives.

He claimed that the clients received training in a variety of occupational skills over the course of the six-month programme, including electricity, carpentry, cap knitting, shoemaking, and tailoring.

He clarified that all of the clients engaged in farming within the camp as a required trade and mentioned that the scheme was broken down into three stages: initial documentation, initial medical examination, intelligence profiling, NIMC profiling Biometrics, and capture.

In order to monitor the client’s various psychological states, we are also categorising them. This will allow us to determine the kind of psychological first aid they will require.

He added, “We also have the buy-in process, where everyone has to accept that they will be a part of the programme.”

He went on to say that the clients leave the training with abilities that help them become independent.

Partners worked with community leaders to carry out the reintegration. In order to learn what our clients are doing, we also offer a feedback system through our partners. They have been doing really well, and the response we have received thus far is outstanding,” he said.

Before being allowed to return to their separate societies, the repentant Boko Haram militants, according to him, took an oath of allegiance to the Nigerian government.

Earlier, Kadafur claimed that he was on his familiarisation tour and had visited the DRR camp to have a firsthand account of the actions of the federal government’s DRR intervention.

Over 90,000 former fighters have been admitted to the state through the project, according to the deputy governor of Borno, who also serves as the DRR Chairman.

He clarified that the clients were receiving rehabilitation at the state’s DRR camps in Bulumkutu, Shokari, and Hajj camps.

He said that managing remorseful militants has many difficulties and calls for a great deal of knowledge and experience. He also mentioned that the state has been receiving the necessary assistance from all relevant authorities and foreign allies.

““For that reason, we came for this facility visit to explore how we could duplicate the results of your DRR initiatives.

“To acquaint our traditional leaders with the process of rehabilitating former fighters, we have financed them to attend courses in Kigali, Somalia, and Colombia.

He stated, “The visit has produced a lot of results because it has begun to alter the traditional rulers’ perspective on how they saw the programme.”