Terrorist: "They swear with the Holy Quran that they will never go back to engage in terrorism again

According to Punch Newspaper, authorities in Borno State have revealed that repentant terrorists undergoing rehabilitation and reintegration into society are required to swear an oath with the Quran as part of measures aimed at preventing them from returning to violence.

The officials explained that the oath-taking process forms part of the state government’s deradicalisation strategy under efforts to end insurgency in the North-East region. 

According to the officials, the former fighters are made to publicly denounce terrorism and pledge loyalty to peace before they are accepted back into their communities.

One of the officials said, “They swear with the Holy Quran that they will never go back to the bush or engage in terrorism again.”

The official added that traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agencies and community members are also involved in monitoring the ex-combatants after reintegration.

The development comes amid ongoing concerns from residents and victims of insurgency who fear that some repentant fighters may return to criminal activities after being released into society.

However, Borno State authorities insisted that the process is carefully supervised and includes counselling, vocational training and psychological rehabilitation before any reintegration takes place.

Another official explained, “The oath is very important because they believe strongly in the Quran, and it serves as a moral and spiritual commitment before their families, community and God.”

The officials maintained that the reintegration programme has helped reduce the number of fighters in the bush, as many insurgents have voluntarily surrendered in recent years.

They also argued that communities are gradually accepting the repentant terrorists after extensive consultations with local leaders and stakeholders.

Despite the assurances, the programme has continued to generate debate among Nigerians, with critics questioning whether former insurgents should be trusted and reintegrated while many victims of attacks are still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by years of violence.

The Borno State government, however, said the approach remains necessary to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region after more than a decade of insurgency that displaced millions of residents and claimed thousands of lives across the North-East.