Some former members of the Islamist militia Boko Haram protested in MaiduguriBorno state capital on Friday, alleging abandonment by the government.
Some 6,900 Boko Haram members surrendered to the Nigerian authorities and renounced their membership in the terrorist organization.
The ex-terrorists, who are undergoing a rehabilitation and de-radicalization program at the Hajj camp in Maiduguri, escaped from the facility and protested in the streets calling on the government to pay them the 30,000 naira allowance it promised.
The protest caused tension and traffic jams along the Bulumkutu – Maiduguri highway before security officers arrived to quell the tension.
The ex-Islamists reportedly said they were forced to protest to register their disappointment to the world and the authorities that they had been left behind, without adequate food and other welfare services.
They said the authorities involved had promised to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society to enable them to live legal lives as responsible Nigerians.
Reaction
Reacting to the development, the state’s Information and Homeland Security Commissioner Usman Tar said ‘biometric registration’ for repentant insurgents resumed after the incident.
“As normalcy was restored, Borno state government officials on Friday resumed capturing biometric data from repentant Boko Haram insurgents.
“A total of 6,900 repentant insurgents are prosecuted under the multi-agency framework of Disarmament, Demobilization, Deradicalization, Rehabilitation, Reconciliation and Reintegration (DDDRRR), also known as the “Borno Model”, added Tar.
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He explained that the data processing process was scheduled to be carried out in six batches by a certified team of intelligence and ICT experts with the highest level of professionalism and confidentiality in data handling.
“Through a communication bridge, those who had to present themselves for data collection at a later date presented themselves on Friday, August 18, 2023, and this caused confusion in a camp where the exercise was taking place.
“The Borno State Government wishes to assure the public that the situation is under control and normalcy has been restored at the site of the biometric exercise.
“The incident illustrated the delicate task authorities face in reintegrating ex-combatants into communities that have often suffered years of attacks and kidnappings during a 13-year Islamist insurgency,” he concluded.
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Let hear it in the comment below if you do have an opinion on this; Former Boko Haram Members Storm Maiduguri, Protest Hunger, Lack of Welfare