Governor Babagana Zulum’s government of Borno State has announced that approximately 6,900 individuals suspected of being Boko Haram terrorists are currently in custody, awaiting transitional justice proceedings.
Naija News understands that transitional justice serves as a peace-building strategy aimed at confronting the aftermath of severe atrocities and breaking the cycle of ongoing violent conflict through various measures, including restitution, reconciliation, prosecution, and amnesty.
The latest decision by the government was disclosed to newsmen by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, during the conclusion of a best practices dissemination event in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
Zuwaira further elaborated that since the onset of mass surrenders in 2021, a total of 200,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have surrendered to the state government.
She highlighted that over 80,000 farmers had been recruited into the sect, along with 35,000 women, more than 50,000 children and minors, among others.
Additionally, she mentioned that nearly 9,000 individuals have successfully reintegrated into society, emphasizing that the program has achieved significant success due to its community-focused approach.
“So far, about 200,000 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered to the state government.
“Let say this, we have about 6,900 real Boko Haram fighters in our custody and they will face transitional justice because they have committed crimes. We are working on that they are real fighters,” the commissioner declared.
During her introductory speech, Hamsatu Allamin, the Executive Director of the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, mentioned that the individuals who surrendered expressed remorse for their involvement with the Boko Haram group, attributing it to their lack of knowledge and susceptibility to being manipulated while in captivity.
She said: “If Boko Haram built their ideology on religion to brainwash people to join them, we also must use religion to tell them the truth, so I am saying the government should use religion to correct these ugly narratives.”
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