“We Were Deceived”: Former Boko Haram Member Shares Journey to Redemption
- Fatima Musa, a former Boko Haram member, has shared her de-radicalisation journey and expressed regret over past extremist beliefs and actions
- The Borno Model, introduced in 2021, has led to the mass surrender of over 300,000 insurgents, combining dialogue and rehabilitation efforts
- Security and community-driven reintegration strategies are helping to restore peace, with vocational training and reconciliation playing key roles
Fatima Musa, a reformed former member of Boko Haram, has shared her journey of transformation at a recent community dialogue organized by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development.
She reflected on the deception that led her and many others into the extremist ideology, acknowledging that limited religious knowledge played a key role in their radicalization.
Boko Haram terrorists who laid their arms and opted to join government-funded rehabilitation programs were spared. Image: GettySource: Getty Images
We were mislead into terrorism – former Boko Haram member
“We were deceived in our youth through a misinterpretation of religion, only to later realise that we had gone down the wrong path,” Fatima stated.
She expressed deep regret over tearing up her National Certificate in Education (NCE) after embracing the belief that Western education was forbidden.
The Allamin Foundation, led by Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, focuses on de-radicalising female members of the sect in northeastern Nigeria. According to Allamin, clerics play a pivotal role in countering extremist ideologies by providing accurate religious teachings that promote peace.
Many women who have undergone de-radicalisation through the foundation are now helping others leave the sect.
“Some of these women are responsible for calling their female friends, husbands, and children in the bush to convince them to surrender,” she explained.
Borno government establishes non-kinetic strategy
The Borno State government has implemented a non-kinetic strategy, known as the ‘Borno Model,’ which provides insurgents willing to renounce violence with an opportunity to surrender to security forces.
This approach, introduced in 2021 under Governor Babagana Zulum, prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation.
Special Adviser on Security, Retired Brigadier-General Abdullahi Ishaq, described the initiative as a community-driven solution designed to bring peace.
“This is a win-win situation where both sides have something to gain,” he said.
The model has facilitated a mass surrender of insurgents, with over 100,000 individuals laying down their arms within months of its launch.
By early 2024, the number of surrendered individuals had exceeded 300,000, including combatants, non-combatants, and those held captive by insurgents. Among them were women and children, including some of the Chibok girls who had been classified as rescued victims.
According to Borno’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, the Borno Model aligns with international standards for reintegrating former insurgents.
It follows the Disarmament, Demobilisation, De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation, Reconciliation, and Reintegration (DDDRRR) framework, similar to UN-backed initiatives in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Shekau death destabilised terrorist group
A key turning point for the mass surrender was the death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, which created a leadership vacuum. Many forcibly conscripted fighters saw an opportunity to escape the violence.
Many were forcibly driven out of their residential homes and towns due to unrelenting barrage of terrorist strikes. Image: GettySource: Getty Images
Under the initiative, former insurgents undergo de-radicalisation through religious teachings and psychological rehabilitation. Those deemed ready for reintegration receive vocational training in fields such as carpentry, tailoring, and mechanics to help them rebuild their lives.
Security officials oversee the process to ensure that no high-risk individuals return to communities without thorough screening. The government also engages in town hall meetings where local residents can voice concerns and participate in reintegration decisions.
While the initiative has reduced terror attacks and allowed farming activities to resume in many parts of Borno, some residents urge the government to strengthen both military and non-military strategies to eliminate insurgents still hiding in remote areas.
Military intelligence gathered from surrendered fighters is seen as a crucial tool for weakening Boko Haram and ISWAP, provided it is effectively utilized. Security experts stress that combining both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches is essential to achieving lasting peace in the region.
USAID funding claim should be investigated
TheTalk.NG had earlier reported that the former CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, had called on the Nigerian government to investigate the allegations slammed against the USAID.
In an interview, he criticised the delayed revelation by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry that USAID allegedly funded terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, with $697 million.
Ayokunle recalled that CAN had long suspected foreign sponsorship of terrorism in Nigeria but was dismissed when it raised concerns, emphasizing that such claims should not be ignored.
Source: TheTalk.NG
