The fresh attack on security forces by so-called repentant Islamic terrorists in Maiduguri, Borno State, has exposed the underbelly of the widely criticised de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and re-integration programme of the Federal Government. The action of the former insurgents calls into question the wisdom behind the amnesty policy and reinforces arguments against its sustenance. The Bola Tinubu administration should order the military authorities to suspend the programme immediately.

According to a media report, the ‘repentant’ Boko Haram insurgents invaded a police station in Maiduguri on April 30 to set free eight of their colleagues who were arrested earlier with 476 grammes of illicit substances.

Eyewitnesses said that about 20 attackers, dressed in military camouflage and wielding cutlasses forcefully gained access to the station and whisked away some detainees. They injured some police officers during the rampage and set ablaze Nigeria Immigration Service and NDLEA checkpoints. The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Daso, confirmed the incident.

The rehabilitation of ex-insurgents who, ordinarily, should be facing justice for their crimes against humanity, had been contentious with many Nigerians opposed to the initiative. The programme’s proponents had waxed melodious tunes about its merits while downplaying the inherent risks to national security.

Gullibly, and perhaps, swayed by parochial considerations, the Muhammadu Buhari administration (2015-2023) approved the programme, saddling the country with a multibillion-naira drainpipe put in place to pamper and reward terrorists who should be atoning for their crimes in prison.

Over 2,000 ex-fighters responsible for the murder of security personnel and thousands of citizens and the destruction of infrastructure, families, and the economy, have been released under the amnesty programme. This was done despite warnings against the programme which was prematurely established amid the insurgency. In 2019, the economic cost of terrorism in Nigeria was equal to 2.4 per cent of the GDP, says Statista.

Rather than reintegrate the victims of the insurgency and allocate sufficient resources for the rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure, the government has been wasting public funds on the perpetrators of terrorism that almost tipped Nigeria over the edge.

Yet, terrorists hardly repent because they are driven by fanatical Salafist ideology. The cost is colossal. Over 3.9 million people have been displaced because of the 15-year-long Boko Haram insurgency. About 2.1 million of this population are internally displaced persons, per UNHCR and IOM 2021 data. The government owes a higher duty of care to these victims.

The Maiduguri incident is one of many reported cases of recidivism involving former insurgents in the North-East. Some repentant Boko Haram members in July 2022, despite renouncing their membership of the terror group, were accused of having contact with their former colleagues. Several ex-fighters were also accused of acting as spies for terrorist groups. The ex-terrorists were among the 800 persons reintegrated into the Bama community in Borno.

Radicalisation is a multifaceted process influenced by several factors, including ideology, social networks, personal grievances, and psychological vulnerabilities. Deradicalisation programmes often struggle to address all these factors comprehensively, making it difficult to ensure lasting change in participants.

Rehabilitating the insurgents poses security risks, given that some of them still maintain connections with extremist networks. Experts said individuals who have been radicalised may lack trust in the deradicalisation process or the authorities overseeing it. This can lead to reluctance to fully engage with the programme or to be open about their beliefs and intentions, hindering the effectiveness of interventions.

Rehabilitating former insurgents while the insurgency which has metamorphosed into banditry and mass abduction has not been tamed, is a premature, ill-conceived, and wasteful venture.

Therefore, the authorities should re-channel their energies and resources to eliminate the insurgents and bring those who survive the security onslaught to justice.

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