Authorities in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State say nearly 10,000 former Boko Haram fighters have now been reintegrated into society under a government-backed rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme aimed at encouraging defections from insurgent groups.
The announcement came as 720 former militants graduated from a rehabilitation centre in Maiduguri,the capital of Borno State,during a ceremony attended by state officials. According to Borno authorities,the latest group brings the total number of former insurgents reintegrated into their communities to 9,680.
The programme forms part of broader efforts by Nigerian authorities to weaken jihadist groups operating in the Lake Chad region by encouraging fighters to surrender and return to civilian life. Images from the ceremony showed hundreds of former militants gathered at the rehabilitation centre,where participants took an oath before being formally discharged from the programme.
Boko Haram's insurgency,which began more than a decade ago in northeastern Nigeria,has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Although the group's capabilities have been significantly reduced by military operations,armed factions continue to carry out attacks in parts of the region.
Borno State authorities say rehabilitation and reintegration programmes remain an important component of efforts to end the conflict and promote long-term stability in communities affected by the insurgency.
United News - unews.co.za