Nigerian troops engaged in counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram in the North-East have reportedly expressed concerns over an alleged directive requiring them to work alongside repentant insurgents reintegrated under the Borno State Government’s rehabilitation programme.
According to reports, some soldiers raised concerns that the arrangement could undermine operational trust and compromise ongoing military efforts in the region.
Sources quoted by SaharaReporters alleged that certain former Boko Haram members had been attached to local security structures that support military operations in parts of Borno State.
One military source reportedly stated that the government appeared determined to demonstrate the effectiveness of the reintegration programme by involving some of the rehabilitated former insurgents in security-related activities.
According to the source, concerns remain among troops due to previous incidents where operational information was allegedly leaked, resulting in compromised missions.
Another source reportedly expressed reservations about fully trusting former insurgents despite their rehabilitation.
The source noted that concerns over loyalty have contributed to situations where such individuals are reportedly housed separately from active personnel, despite growing pressure for operational collaboration.
Some of the affected personnel reportedly argued that greater attention should instead be directed toward improving military equipment, intelligence gathering and welfare support for frontline troops.
The concerns emerged weeks after the Borno State Government conducted another phase of its reintegration programme involving former insurgents and their families under the state’s “Borno Model” deradicalisation initiative.
The programme involved the reintegration of 720 former insurgents, 992 spouses and 2,050 children into various communities after undergoing rehabilitation at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security, retired Brigadier General Abdullahi Ishaq, said the initiative forms part of the state’s non-kinetic approach to addressing insurgency.
According to him, the programme, which began in July 2021, is built around forgiveness, rehabilitation and community reintegration.
He added that more than 350,000 persons had reportedly exited insurgent camps since the initiative commenced, while 9,680 individuals had been reintegrated through nine separate batches.
