A total of 6,900 Boko Haram fighters from among the over 200,000 surrendered terrorists in the custody of the Borno State government will undergo transitional justice.
Borno State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo who stated this also disclosed that over 80,000 of those in custody are innocent men and women used by the terrorists as slaves to farm for them.
Transitional justice is a peace-building mechanism that seeks to address severe atrocities and end recurring cycles of violent conflict through a range of responses, including restitution, reconciliation, prosecution, and amnesty.
Hajiya Gambo made the revelation during the conclusion of the best practice dissemination and learning programme organised by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, held on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
She said,” 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.
“Nearly 9,000 people have been reintegrated into the society, and the scheme has achieved notable success.
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.
The Executive Director of the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Hamsatu Allamin, added that the surrendered individuals regretted their involvement with Boko Haram.
According to her, these persons expressed remorse for their membership of the terrorist group, citing 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.
Allamin stressed that over 800 deradicalised women sensitised under the ‘Building Bridges of Reconciliation: A Community-Based Approach to Deradicalisation of Women and Girls in Borno State,’ 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.