On Saturday, 594 ex-insurgents completed a six-month De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme in Gombe State, Nigeria. During their graduation ceremony, the former militants apologised for the roles they played in destabilising communities and begged Nigerians for forgiveness. Speaking on behalf of the group, Muhammad Abba said they had taken an oath of allegiance to Nigeria and would remain loyal and faithful to the country. He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for initiating and ensuring the continuity of the DRR programme. The ex-insurgents, who included three individuals from Niger Republic and one from Chad, will be taken back to their communities.
Col. Uche Nnabuihe, the camp Commandant, confirmed that six of the deradicalised insurgents are Christians, while 15 of them were from Adamawa, 495 from Borno, 16 from Kano, three from Gombe, 16 from Yobe, 13 from Kaduna, and one from Kogi. Additionally, 12 of the ex-insurgents were from Bauchi, five each from Jigawa and Katsina, four from Kebbi, one each from Nasarawa and Plateau, and two from Zamfara.
The DRR programme is part of Operation Safe Corridor, run by the Nigerian Army, which seeks to reintegrate ex-insurgents into society. The programme includes vocational training, therapy, and religious counselling. According to the Nigerian military, over 2,000 ex-insurgents have been through the programme since its inception in 2016. The military maintains that the programme has been successful in rehabilitating former militants and returning them to society. However, critics have raised concerns about the programme's effectiveness and the risk of reintegrating former militants into society.
The graduation ceremony was attended by government officials, religious leaders, and military personnel. Brig.-Gen. Aminu Bande, the Chief of Staff of Operation Safe Corridor, congratulated the ex-insurgents on completing the programme and urged them to be ambassadors of peace in their communities. He also warned them against returning to insurgency and terrorism, saying that they would be dealt with according to the law if they did.
The ceremony was also an opportunity for the ex-insurgents to showcase the skills they had acquired during the programme. They displayed products such as soap, detergents, and clothing made during vocational training sessions. Some of them also performed skits and dramas highlighting the importance of peace and religious tolerance.
The DRR programme is part of Nigeria's broader efforts to combat terrorism and insurgency in the country. Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group, has been active in Nigeria since 2009, carrying out attacks on civilians and military targets. The group has also been active in neighbouring countries such as Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. The Nigerian government has deployed military forces to counter Boko Haram and other militant groups, but the conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and displacement of millions of people.
The success of the DRR programme will be critical in achieving lasting peace in Nigeria and the wider region. The programme's focus on rehabilitation and reintegration is a positive step towards addressing the root causes of insurgency and terrorism. However, sustained efforts will be needed to ensure that former militants do not return to violent activities. The Nigerian government must also address the underlying grievances that fuel insurgency, such as poverty, unemployment, and corruption. Only then can Nigeria and the region hope to achieve lasting peace and stability.