Ex-Boko Haram Members Stage Protest In Maiduguri, Demanding Better Welfare Amidst Hunger Crisis

Over the weekend, a group of ex-Boko Haram members staged a protest in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for alleged neglect by the government.

This development came after four commanders surrender from the terrorist group, along with thirteen more fighters, and also includes their forty-five family members.

About 6,900 terrorists who were part of Boko Haram have surrendered to the Nigerian authorities, publicly renouncing their affiliation with the terrorist organization.

The ex-terrorists, currently undergoing a deradicalisation and rehabilitation program at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri, staged a protest by breaking out of the facility, demanding that the government fulfil its promise of paying them the N30,000 allowance that was pledged.

The protest led to heightened tension and traffic congestion along the Bulumkutu – Maiduguri Highway, which eventually eased after security operatives arrived to defuse the situation.

The former Islamists stated that they felt compelled to protest in order to express their dissatisfaction to both the global community and the authorities. They claimed to have been neglected, lacking sufficient food and proper welfare facilities, which prompted them to take this action.

They said that the relevant authorities had assured them of rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society, allowing them to lead law-abiding lives as responsible citizens of Nigeria.

Reacting to this situation, the Commissioner of Information and Internal Security for the state, Usman Tar, stated that the ‘biometrics registration’ process for repentant insurgents had recommenced following the incident.

“As normalcy restored, officials of Borno State Government have on Friday resumed the biometrics data capture of repentant Boko Haram insurgents.

“A total of 6,900 repentant insurgents are processed under the multi-agency framework of Disarmament, Demobilisation, Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation, Reconciliation, and Reintegration (DDDRRR) otherwise known as the “Borno Model,” Mr Tar added.

He explained that the data processing process was scheduled to be conducted in six batches by a certified team of intelligence and ICT experts with the utmost level of professionalism and confidentiality in data management.

“Due to a bridge in communication, those who were supposed to appear for the data capture at a later date appeared on Friday, August 18, 2023, and this led to confusion at a camp where the exercise was being conducted.

“The Borno State government wishes to assure the public that the situation is under control and normalcy has been restored at the venue of the biometric exercise.

“The incident illustrated the sensitive task which authorities face in re-inserting former fighters back into communities that have often suffered from years of attacks and kidnappings during a 13-year Islamist insurgency,” he said.