Troops Raise Alarm as Borno Integrates 'Repentant' Terrorists in Operations

Nigerian soldiers actively engaged in the fight against Boko Haram in the North-East have reportedly voiced strong objections to a recent directive from the Borno State government. The directive, according to military personnel who spoke to SaharaReporters, mandates them to collaborate with ‘repentant’ terrorists who have been reintegrated into society through the state’s deradicalisation scheme. This development has reportedly caused significant apprehension within frontline units, with many soldiers expressing fears that such an arrangement could lead to renewed operational sabotage and critical intelligence leaks.

Sources informed SaharaReporters that some of these former Boko Haram combatants, who recently publicly affirmed their loyalty to the Nigerian state during reintegration events, are now being assigned to local security groups. These groups are known to assist military operations against insurgents across various parts of Borno State. The soldiers suspect that this initiative is part of the state government’s strategy to validate its rehabilitation and reintegration programme, which has drawn considerable criticism from the public, victims of insurgency, and some security operatives.

According to the sources, military authorities and ground troops maintain a high level of skepticism regarding the true intentions of many former insurgents, even after they have completed rehabilitation programmes. One soldier told SaharaReporters, “The government wants to prove that the reintegration programme is working, so some of these ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members are being attached to security groups that work with troops in operations.” He further added, “But many of us are uncomfortable with the arrangement because there have been cases in the past where information leaked and operations were compromised. Trust is a major issue.”

Another source revealed that soldiers have intentionally kept some of the ex-insurgents in separate accommodations within military facilities. This precaution stems from concerns that they might still maintain ties with active terrorist cells operating in the region. The source elaborated, “We don’t trust them completely. There have been too many incidents in the past. That is why they are often given separate accommodation. Yet now there is pressure for us to work closely with them during our missions.” The source also highlighted the ongoing threat, stating, “You can see how these Boko Haram fighters have been killing our ogas (commanders). That should tell you there is a leak in information about their movements. Yet the government is asking us to trust these people and work with them. It won’t work.”

The soldiers argued that rather than compelling troops to work alongside former Boko Haram fighters, the federal government should focus on enhancing military capabilities by providing superior equipment, improved intelligence support, and comprehensive welfare packages for personnel risking their lives in the anti-terrorism campaign. They indicated that this latest directive has created significant anxiety among troops, who fear that sensitive operational details could once again fall into the hands of insurgent groups still active in Borno and neighboring states.

These concerns emerge barely two weeks after the Borno State government facilitated the reintegration of 720 ‘repentant’ insurgents, along with 992 spouses and 2,050 children, into various communities. This was carried out under its “Borno Model” deradicalisation and rehabilitation initiative. The beneficiaries were former insurgents who had surrendered to security forces and subsequently underwent rehabilitation at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri before their formal return to society.

During the reintegration ceremony, retired Brigadier General Abdullahi Ishaq, who serves as Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security and is a member of the state’s Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Committee, hailed the programme as a vital element of Borno’s non-kinetic approach to tackling insurgency. He stated that the initiative, launched in July 2021, is built on principles of forgiveness, rehabilitation, and community acceptance for former insurgents willing to abandon violence. Ishaq reported that since the programme’s inception, over 350,000 individuals have reportedly left insurgent camps and surrendered, with a total of 9,680 persons reintegrated across nine batches. The official affirmed that those processed through the programme received vocational training, religious and behavioural reorientation, counselling, and skills acquisition before their return to their communities.

Despite these efforts, the programme continues to be controversial, with critics questioning the trustworthiness of former insurgents and the adequacy of safeguards to prevent their reversion to extremist activities. The recent apprehensions voiced by soldiers suggest that these reservations persist even among the security personnel directly involved in counter-insurgency operations across the North-East.

As of the time of filing this report, SaharaReporters’ attempts to get a comment from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful. Multiple calls to Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Director of Army Public Relations, went unanswered, and a text message seeking the Army's official response, though delivered, did not receive a reply.