Rehabilitatedterrorists in Borno are required to take an oath on the Quran.

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Repentant terrorists are made to swear with Quran after rehabilitation – Borno

The Borno State Government has taken steps to address worries that rehabilitated former terrorists might resume violent activities after completing the state’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme.

Officials say that the most robust safeguard in the process is an oath taken on the Quran, which they believe deters participants from taking up arms again.

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, revealed this in an interview on News Central Television aired Monday. She said the oath‑taking constitutes the final stage of the Borno rehabilitation model and carries profound spiritual consequences for the participants.

She said, “When they come to us through all the processes of the Borno model, the last thing they do is, they take an oath with the Quran. Once you swear by the Quran, you know the implication.”

Gambo added that, although some fear former fighters might rejoin insurgent camps, doing so would render them targets among terrorist groups.

“People assume that they will go back to the bush; well, they may, but they are dead on arrival. So, it is not even about whether they have been certified or we trust them or not. The law of the jungle takes care of that. The moment you step out, and you surrender to the constituted authority, you become an infidel,” she said.

The commissioner also highlighted inadequate funding as a major obstacle to the smooth implementation of the rehabilitation initiative.

“The challenge, of course, has to do with funding, because you bring a lot of people on board, but how are you going to feed them, how are you going to clothe and provide for them with necessary access to education,” she stressed.

Concern grew over the Federal Government’s De‑radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme, known as Operation Safe Corridor, after the graduation and planned reintegration of 744 former insurgents reported on April 19.

Of the beneficiaries, 597 were from Borno State; the remaining participants came from Adamawa, Yobe, Kano and other parts of the country.

The programme provoked strong reactions from stakeholders, many of whom questioned its transparency, accountability, and the consideration given to victims of insurgency.

Afam Osigwe, president of the Nigerian Bar Association, acknowledged that reintegration policies can be useful but warned that they must not overlook victims of terrorism.

He said, “Reintegrating persons who may have unleashed violence or burned properties or committed other criminal activities into communities without addressing the hurt of the victims would appear as compensating perpetrators while overlooking the victims.”

Isa Sanusi, country director of Amnesty International Nigeria, argued that while international standards support reintegration, Nigeria’s process still lacks sufficient openness.

Sanusi said, “There are serious concerns that some of those called repentant sometimes go back to what they do. The government must be transparent about who they are and their level of involvement. Tell the people who these people are, what kind of terrorism they were involved in, and whether they were informants or killers. These things have to be made very clear.”