The Nigerian Government has said about 2,168 repentant Boko Haram have graduated from its De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) initiative after passing through various rebuilding programs, medical screening, psychological and psycho-spiritual counseling, sports therapy, drug abuse counseling, and Western education programs in Gombe State.
The Commandant of the DRR Camp, Operation Safe Corridor, Col. Abiodun Johnson revealed this on Thursday.
Abiodun who spoke during a courtesy visit by the Borno Deputy Governor, Dr. Usman Kadafur to the camp said under the six-month program, the clients were trained on vocational skills, including carpentry, cap knitting, shoe making, tailoring, and electrification.
The deputy governor, who doubles as the Chairman of the DRR in Borno, said that the state had received over 90,000 ex-militants under the program.
He explained that the clients were undergoing rehabilitation in the Hajj camp, Shokari, and Bulumkutu camps DRR camps in the state.
He noted that the management of repentant militants has a lot of challenges that require a lot of expertise and experience, noting that the state had been getting the required support from all the agencies and international partners.
“We, therefore, came to this tour of your facilities to see how we can replicate what is obtainable in your DRR programs.