The Borno State government says repentant Boko Haram fighters must swear an oath with the Holy Quran as the final stage of its deradicalisation and reintegration programme.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, said the oath is a binding moral commitment made after participants complete all stages of rehabilitation under the Borno model.
“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 said.
She explained that the religious oath is meant to discourage beneficiaries from returning to extremism, adding that those who break their pledge face social rejection.
Gambo also noted that funding remains a major challenge for the programme, particularly in providing food, clothing, education and reintegration support for participants.
The clarification comes amid national debate over the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor programme, under which 744 former insurgents recently graduated for reintegration. Of those, 597 are from Borno.
The Nigerian Bar Association and Amnesty International have raised concerns about transparency and victims’ rights, urging the government to disclose more details on the backgrounds of those being reintegrated and to strengthen oversight to prevent relapses.
