The North East Development Commission (NEDC); has engaged 601 Boko
Haram repentant with various skills starter packs and N12.02 million
stipends for integration into society.
The starter packs comprise, wielding and washing machines, barbing,
carpentry and cosmetic tools and kits.
Speaking on repentant terrorists’ integration on Sunday in Maiduguri,
the Commissioner of Information, Babakura Jatau; disclosed that; “The
601 repentant terrorists, who are being reintegrated into their
communities, have been given N20, 000 stipends and starter packs to
practice their acquired skills from Gombe.
“The starter packs were given to the repentant terrorists by the
Commission and International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
He therefore; denied reports that the state government was giving each
of the Boko Haram repentant N100, 000.
He added that only 10 per cent or 60 repentant terrorist were actually
Boko Haram members.
According to him, five hundred and forty one repentant terrorists;
were abducted and became accomplices during the decade long insurgency
in Northeast.
“They are 601 of them and the question of state government giving them
N100, 000 each does not arise at all,” he said.
Continued; “What happened is that the North East Development
Commission gave them starter packs. Some of them are trained as
barbers, so they were given clippers and generators and then given
N20, 000 cash and their shops will be paid for.
“What the government will do is that they will be brought to Borno
State from Gombe. They will also be housed in two orientation camps,
where there are facilities for training and for them to practice
whatever they were taught in Gombe.”
He added that among the Boko Haram repentant; include 14 foreign
nationals from Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
He said that they are also to be integrated into society through their
respective national and state authorities.
