Nigeria reintegrates nearly 10,000 former Boko Haram fighters

Authorities in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, have confirmed that nearly 10,000 former Boko Haram fighters have been successfully reintegrated into society through a government-backed rehabilitation and deradicalisation programme designed to encourage defections from insurgent groups.

The announcement came as 720 former combatants graduated from a reintegration centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, in a ceremony attended by state officials.

Borno officials stated that this latest cohort brings the total number of ex-insurgents reintegrated into their communities to 9,680.

This programme is part of a broader initiative by Nigerian authorities to weaken jihadist groups operating in the Lake Chad region by encouraging fighters to surrender and return to civilian life.

Footage from the ceremony showed hundreds of former fighters gathered at the reintegration centre, where participants took an oath before being officially released from the programme.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began over a decade ago in northeastern Nigeria, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Although the group’s capabilities have been significantly reduced by military operations, armed factions continue to carry out attacks in parts of the region.

Borno State authorities maintain that rehabilitation and reintegration programmes remain a critical component of efforts to end the conflict and promote long-term stability in communities affected by the insurgency.