OKODILI NDIDI captures diverse reactions as government implements a programme of de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and re-integration of ‘repentant’ Boko Haram terrorists.
All they got to show for the years of their membership of the dreaded terror groups, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), were hacked limbs and tormenting memories of mindless killings and wanton destruction.
They were fugitives from the law who were constantly running from one forest to the other in a bid to escape bombardments by troops. Eventually, many of them, described by the military authorities as “low risk” ones among the terrorists, willingly surrendered. They now crave a new life.
These are young men who were captured from their respective villages and conscripted into terrorist organisations. Now they are being de-radicalised and given vocational trainings that will prepare them for reabsorption into the larger society.
However, their bid to return to normal life is being threatened by the blunt refusal by the society to absorb them.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, in 2015, established Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) to create avenue for willing and repentant Boko Haram fighters to surrender and go through a well-structured de-radicalisation into the larger society.
Since the inception of the programme, 893 repentant Boko Haram fighters, referred to as “clients”, enlisted for the programme. Of this number, 280, including two Chadians, had since been transferred to their respective national and state authorities.
Another batch of 606 is set to be reunited with their families after undergoing rehabilitation and de-radicalisation.
The Coordinator of the programme, Major General Bamidele Shafa, disclosed that 25 Nigerians, including 14 male adults, three female adults and eight children, were in February, brought in from Niger Republic. They were said to have voluntarily laid down their arms and denounced Boko Haram.
Shafa, who spoke at a recent stakeholders meeting, said the military authorities were not leaving anything to chance.
According to him, any of the repentant member that showed the slightest sign r traits of disloyalty would be withdrawn from the programme and be taken in for further investigation and prosecution if need be.
The officer said the programme is open ended, stressing that the moment their handlers have cause to believe that any of them had not been sufficiently de-radicalised, the person would be made to repeat the programme.
The Chairman Operation Safe Corridor and Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, disclosed that over 1000 high profile Boko Haram and ISWAP members had been captured and investigated. Of this number, 500 had been convicted by courts of competent jurisdiction, the Defence Chief said.
According to him, the activities of Operation Safe Corridor are guided by extant provisions of international humanitarian and human rights laws, as well as the Nigerian Constitution.
Olonisakin said: “Since the establishment of Operation Safe Corridor, over 2,000 low profile Boko Haram Terrorists/lSWAP members have laid down their arms out of which about 1,000 had been processed by Operation Safe Corridor. Also, over 250 members, including two foreign nationals, had been successfully reintegrated by their national and state governments.
“The remaining 692 clients are currently undergoing the de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme at designated camps located in Gombe and Bulumkutu, in Maiduguri. It is expected that more clients will be absorbed into the programme this year.”
Olonisakin dismissed insinuations in certain quarters that Operation Safe Corridor is a military operation, saying that the core functions of the Scheme are performed by Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with relevant competencies. The role of the military and other security agencies, he said, is to provide the enabling environment and leadership for effectiveness. He debunked media reports that the rehabilitated ex-terrorists were being absorbed into the military.
His words: “There have also been fears that products of Operation Safe Corridor are being recruited into the military and paramilitary organisations. I wish to categorically refute the claim and assure Nigerians that, none of the rehabilitated Nigerians from Operation Safe Corridor De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration has been recruited into the Nigerian Military or any sister security agencies as stringent measures have been put in place to prevent such from happening”.
Though these repented insurgents have been trained in different crafts like tailoring, carpentry, shoe making, barbing, mechanic, soap making, among other vocations, there are strong indications that the society is not ready to absorb them, even though they have been made to take fresh oath of allegiance to the country.
Even in military circles, the idea of allowing the former terrorists who were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent people, including security operatives, to walk free has not been totally accepted.
A recent bill to create a national agency for the rehabilitation and education of repentant insurgents, sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, representing Yobe East, is being opposed by various socio-political groups and individuals across the country. The Senator has come under intense criticism and pressure to withdraw the bill, which many described as a mockery of those killed by the insurgents.
For instance, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has urged the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, to drop the proposed bill that would allow “repentant Boko Haram terrorists” opportunities to access public funds for foreign education.
According to SERAP, “The bill erodes justice and makes a mockery of the suffering of the victims, the unspeakable human tragedy, humanitarian crisis and appalling atrocities committed by the Boko Haram terrorist group”. It rather urged Lawan to sponsor bills that would ensure access to justice and reparation for the victims of Boko Haram terrorist group.
Also, the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) have condemned the proposed amnesty for Boko Haram terrorists. They opined that anyone who had proposed such a bill to grant amnesty to criminals who killed, maimed, raped and destroyed innocent people’s lives and property, and threw the country into jeopardy, must be thoroughly investigated and probably marked as enemies of the state.
An Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, described the proposed bill as an insult to Nigeria and scandalous to the National Assembly. “How can anybody think of feeding criminals and enemies of the state? This is impunity taken too far,” Adebanjo said.
The President of the AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, described the proposal as “stupid”. Shettima regretted that the bill is coming amid failure by the government to cater for the direct victims of the Boko Haram suspects. The government, he added, has also failed to address the needs of soldiers that are risking their lives to contain the insurgents.
He lamented that the troops have continued to groan under the weight of poor welfare package. He knocked the Senate for proposing a bill to grant amnesty to the suspects, saying, “It speaks a lot about the characters ruling us”. The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), also rejected the proposed bill in the strongest terms.
It warned that the move to legislate outright pardon for armed terrorists under the guise of de-radicalisation programme could result in civil war. The group, in a statement by the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, insisted that the bill was unconstitutional and offended all relevant anti-terrorism laws of the federation.
However, two prominent lawyers and Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Itse Sagay and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, have declared support for the proposed bill. Sagay, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), was however cautious in his assessment. He described the issue as a “risky subject”.
Sagay said, “I would say it’s a risky concept, although it happens. So, we have to be very careful about it. That practice does exist in some countries. It is one that has to be handled very delicately, otherwise it could backfire.”For example, if the person is not yet fully repentant or pretends and you get carried away and restore him to normal civil life as if nothing has happened, it could give him another opportunity to strike a deadly blow.
“It’s something that could be done very carefully, and then you have to be very particular about who you choose. It cannot be a very large scale thing, so that people may not think that you can commit horrors and later on you’ll be accepted back into society without consequence”.
Similarly, Adegboruwa said the bill was not out of place, adding that if the Niger Delta militants were given amnesty, repentant Boko Haram members should benefit too.
Adegboruwa said: “Every effort should be made to end the Boko Haram scourge, including possible de-radicalisation of repentant ones amongst them. A crime is a crime, no matter the weight; since former President Umar Yar’Adua pardoned militants who raped, kidnapped and killed people, including foreigners, there is nothing wrong in reforming insurgents if they truly embrace amnesty.
Part of the focus of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act involves the transformation of criminals for the good of society. However, all efforts should be made to properly monitor the repentant insurgents so that we don’t end up throwing the dreaded ones among them into the society to do more damage”.
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