Government officials and religious leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to peace, urging rehabilitated former insurgents to fully embrace reintegration, reject violence, and support efforts aimed at ending insurgency in the region.
Speaking during the reintegration exercise, a government official stated that communities across Borno State have chosen forgiveness and reconciliation, expressing confidence in the reform of the returnees.
“On behalf of the good people of Borno State and the good people of Nigeria, we have forgiven them with all our hearts,” the official said.
According to him, the former insurgents were required to take a solemn oath on the Holy Quran, pledging never to return to violence and to live peacefully within their communities.
“They have sworn by the Quran not to go back to any form of violence,” he added.
The official explained that the reintegration programme is based on the Borno Model, a community-driven initiative that allows local stakeholders to identify, screen, and accept returnees they recognize as members of their communities.
He noted that many of the returnees were originally victims of abduction, with some reportedly kidnapped while working on their farms.
“Some of these young men were abducted from their farmlands, and the community is fully aware of their circumstances,” he said.
Emphasizing the grassroots nature of the process, the official stated that local communities play a central role in determining who is accepted back into society.
“It is the community that came forward, screened them, and said, ‘These are our boys,'” he explained.
He further highlighted the emotional significance of the programme, noting that communities that once gathered to mourn and console affected families are now being called upon to celebrate the return of rehabilitated individuals.
Authorities say the broader objective of the initiative is to promote lasting peace, prevent a return to violence, and encourage those still in insurgent camps to surrender and embrace reintegration into society.
