The integration of 893 repentant Boko Haram terrorists into communities may fail, because of mistrust between Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and repentant insurgents in Borno state. About 80% of IDPs in Maiduguri and Bama are facing the challenges of living in communities with repentant Boko Haram, after undergoing “Operation Safe Corridor of Nigerian Army” led by Maj-Gen. Bamidele Shafa. The former fighters were freed at the DRR Camp in Mallam Sidi, Gombe state. The IDPs, however; attributed the challenges and fears to; no end to decade long insurgency and mistrust among some repentant insurgents being integrated into few communities. Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno south senatorial district, has also advised the President to rehabilitate victims of Boko Haram insurgency and not the terrorists. “If the government is serious about a programme like this, it should start with the victims first and not the perpetrators,” he said. While commending Federal Government’s deradicalisation programme, Thursday in Maiduguri, Mallam Ibrahim Salihu, the Bakassi Camp Manager, disclosed; “The challenges were are still facing in camp, are the continuous attacks and killings in some of our communities in Borno state,” declaring that the Boko Haram insurgency is not ending at all. He noted that instead of massive killings of civilians and soldiers, including displacement of people come to an end, the camps are being filled up with victims. He said in Bakassi camp alone, there are over 44,000 IDPs comprising over 20,000 male and female farming households. Salihu doubted with fear that the integration of repentant terrorists; are still not ready to live in good faith with the IDPs in communities. “This is the main challenge of integrating the repentant Boko Haram members,” he said. Continued; “Some of the repentant insurgents make statements that could provoke some of the victims of insurgency. “Most of the IDPs in this camp are saying that the repentant Boko Haram terrorists are Federal Government “untouchables” integrated in various communities of Borno.” While speaking on IDPs’ verdict on the integration programme, he said: “About 80% of the IDPs in camp; are telling me that the integrated repentant terrorists brag of being challenged to live in communities. “Their argument was that they had undergone the deradicalisation processes to live with IDPs in communities.” He also claimed that Humanitarian agencies of the UN and other international donor agencies are providing more assistance to repentant terrorists than the IDPs in camps and host communities. According to him, the displaced persons are to be motivated with assistance on what happened to them during the decade long terrorism. Aishemi Modu (not real name), a 65-year old IDP at El-Miskin camp told The Guardian that it is impossible to integrate the repentant terrorists into communities. He attributed the non-implementation of integration programme to the incessant attacks and other terrorists’ activities perpetrated during the 11-year insurgency. Nana Umar, a mother of seven children at the camp, also said that; “It is only God that could intervene and allow repentant terrorists to live with us in communities. “We’re praying that this Boko Haram insurgency comes to an end. My husband was killed by Boko Haram and left me with seven children suffering in this camp for over six years. “I want these calamities come to an end; so that we return to our communities in Marte Local Government Area. On reintegrating repentant terrorists, she said: “Anyone that kills a living person and repents; their repentance would be difficult to be accepted by us, particularly women and children that were devastated and displaced from their ancestral homes. “The INGOs prefer to support the repentant Boko Haram insurgents more than the IDPs,” noted Salihu. He added that other challenges of accepting repentant terrorists into communities, include the inability of most displaced persons forget what happened to them in the last decade. He said the only condition on which the repentant insurgents be accepted into communities, is for them to “live in good faith” with IDP returnees.
