601 Ex-Boko Haram Insurgents Rehabilitated In Gombe State

A total of 601 repentant Boko Haram members have been rehabilitated in Gombe State, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said, yesterday.

The Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Bamidele Shafa, said they graduated from the de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration (DRR) camp in Mallam Sidi, Gombe.

Shafa said:

“On arrival at the camp, the clients went through documentation processes to obtain vital background information after which they were subjected to comprehensive medical screening to determine their health status.

“Their DNA samples were also collected while their biometrics were captured on National Data using the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) facilities for future references. The background information serves as guide for the experts; Local Treatment Team (LTT) to properly place them for treatment therapies and vocational training.

“The LTT are specialised experts in various fields of deradicalisation and rehabilitation therapies drawn from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).”

According to him, the graduands consists of 14 Cameroonians, Chadians and Nigeriens.

This development comes only days after some residents of Borno State kicked against the reintegration of former insurgents in their communities.

Operation Safe Corridor, an initiative for the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of ex-Boko Haram members was launched by the military in 2016.