Over 2,000 repentant Boko Haram terrorists graduate from government de-radicalisation programme

OVER 2,168 repentant Boko Haram terrorists have graduated from the federal government’s de-radicalisation rehabilitation and reintegration (DRR) programme at a special camp in Gombe State and are now said to be ready to return to society.

According to Col Abiodun Johnson, the commandant of the DRR camp, the scheme known as Operation Safe Corridor, involved six months of training. He added that during the period, the former militants were trained on vocational skills including carpentry, cap knitting, shoe making, tailoring and electrification.

Revealing all this when he hosted a courtesy visit by the Borno State deputy governor, Dr Usman Kadafur, Col Johnson said the ex-terrorists passed through various rebuilding programmes under the scheme. He added that they underwent medical screening, psychological and psycho-spiritual counselling, sports therapy, drug abuse counselling and western education programmes.

Furthermore, Col Johnson explained that all the clients also ventured into farming in the camp as a compulsory trade. He noted that the programme was divided into three phases involving initial documentation, medical tests, intelligence profiling and National Identity Management Commission profiling biometrics and capturing.