Ibrahim Mohammed, 32, had been working as a jihadi fighter deep in the vast forests of Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state for years until a video message from his mother changed everything.
Nigeria’s ongoing insurgency, sparked by the 2009 Boko Haram uprising, has left tens of thousands dead and more than 3 million displaced.
“I received a video message from my mother. She begged me to leave the group, lay down my arms and go home,” Mohammed told AFP on Friday at a ceremony to mark the end of a rehabilitation program for former jihadi fighters in the Borno capital Maiduguri.
“It touched me deeply. I realized my family still cared about me and wanted me back. That’s when I decided to leave the jungle and surrender.”
Mohammed is one of about 720 former fighters who recently completed the state government’s rehabilitation program as part of non-military efforts to combat the insurgency.
Standing under the scorching sun, former fighters wearing white T-shirts received a Koran in which they vowed not to join jihadist groups.
Among them were some who identified themselves as former commanders, one of whom said he allowed his son to be killed because he refused to attack the village.
“I allowed his killing because he rejected the movement and its mission,” said Bulama Mukhtar, 36.
Women and children are also part of the programme, which officials say is aimed at making them self-reliant and productive.
Sabi Abdullahi Ishaq, Security Adviser to the Governor of Borno State, said at least 9,680 participants have been trained since the start of 2021.
Participants spent several months at a camp in the state capital learning vocational skills such as car repair and tailoring.
– not a real religion –
Boko Haram, which means Western education is banned, began waging war in 2009 to establish an Islamic caliphate.
But some former fighters told AFP they had been misled and that jihadist violence had little to do with religion.
“I realized that the violence and suffering caused to innocent people had nothing to do with true religious preaching,” said Mustapha Kaka, 36, who was promoted to assistant commander.
“We didn’t start this in the name of Islam.”
Idris Abdulkadir, 44, a former fighter for Boko Haram’s rival Islamic State in West Africa Province, said he “got married and had 11 children while living in the bush”.
“Because I joined Boko Haram, I was left behind while my mates continued their education and became respected Islamic scholars,” Abdulkader told AFP.
-‘A chance to rebuild’-
Former fighters said life in the mountains and forests was difficult, with them moving frequently and often going days without sleep.
Mohammed said the rehabilitation program is “an opportunity to rebuild our lives.”
Ya Fanna Isa, 25, who spent ten years in Boko Haram captivity after being kidnapped from her village, married a militant and raised four children.
She eventually fled with two of her children, while the other two stayed with their father.
“I wanted to start over and live in peace,” Issa said. “My hope is that my children will have opportunities that I never had.”
But Adebayo said that despite the intentions behind the plan, it had flaws that could “affect their commitment to stability and lasting peace.”
“One of them is the risk of granting blanket amnesty to those who have committed serious atrocities and claim to be only low-risk associates,” he told AFP.
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This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
