The ongoing deradicalisation and integration of former insurgents into the society is said not to favour women who also bear the brunt of insurgency. blueprint.ng reports on the need for proper inclusivity.
In 24 years, statistics has shown that Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly killed around 50,000 people with more than 2.5 million displaced.
Worried by the development, the federal government over the years has shifted its military deradicalisation tactics to non-military methods like negotiation, amnesty, disarmament, reintegration and empowerment.
Both for male and female insurgents, programmes like vocational training, literacy education, enterpreneur skills and life-skills development have been tailored to changing their psyche about terrorism.
However, it is on record that there is still a gender gap that reflects deeper structural inequalities, thus posing risks to long-term peace-building.
Through the programme in collaboration with UNICEF and Borno state government, some surrendered terrorists, mostly women and children, are currently camped in designated areas in Maiduguri, a situation that has generated a lot of concerns and fear.
This calls for increasing women’s representation in those initiatives; therefore, the role of the Ministry of Women Affairs and other related agencies cannot be over emphasised towards ensure that their experiences are integrated.
UNICEF reintegration and matters arising
In a recent report, UNICEF in collaboration with the Borno state government, sought the support of traditional rulers and the public in its move to reconcile and reintegrate 6,000 members of former non-state combatants and their associates, who have laid down their arms and surrendered to troops.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Maiduguri, Ms Phuong Nguyen, during the official launch of a public information campaign in support of reconciliation and reintegration of the surrendered terrorists said developing partners such as UNICEF, EU, UN among others would do their best to support the state government under the leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum, other traditional rulers and religious leaders towards reintegration for children who were formerly linked to armed groups and recruited by non-state actors.
According to her, “These are our children, neighbours, brothers and sisters who were caught on one side of the conflict. Many of them remained in territories formerly controlled by non-state armed groups and exploited as labourers, cooks, armour carriers, spies and farm hands.
“Others were forcefully married and tortured. There is no doubt that over the years, these boys and girls have experienced harrowing times and subjected to multiple violations of their human rights.”
Fresh concerns
The situation has raised fresh concerns about what to do with the exclusion of women from the programme.
The gap, according to reports, reflects deeper structural inequalities and poses risks to long-term peacebuilding.
The programme, known as Operation Safe Corridor, is designed to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant insurgents, particularly those linked to the conflict involving Boko Haram.
However, critics say women, many of whom were forcibly recruited, are not being adequately included.
In reaction, Gender expert, National Network Coordinator for the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in Nigeria, Bridget Osakwe described the exclusion as ‘unacceptable’, noting that women and girls make up a significant proportion of those affected by insurgency.
“In these camps, women are not there by choice. They are used as sex slaves, forced into marriages and even deployed as suicide bombers; yet, when rehabilitation opportunities come, they are sidelined.”
While some women are reportedly supported through humanitarian agencies such as the UNICEF, stakeholders argue that this response is fragmented and insufficient compared to the structured support provided under Operation Safe Corridor.
The issue, she said, goes beyond policy gaps and reflects broader societal norms that marginalise women and a deeper reflection of systemic discrimination and the structural abuse of women in society.
Although the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has been identified as the lead institution on gender-related issues, stakeholders stress that responsibility must extend across government and security agencies.
She said, “Key among them is the Office of the National Security Adviser which oversees Operation Safe Corridor, as well as other ministries involved in implementing Nigeria’s commitments under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.”
She also emphasised the protection and inclusion of women in conflict resolution and post-conflict recovery.
While referencing the Beijing Platform for Action, particularly its focus on women and armed conflict, to underscore the urgency of addressing the issue, she said, “There must be intentional inclusion. Leaving this responsibility to one ministry alone risks further marginalisation. All relevant actors must collaborate to ensure that women receive equal access to rehabilitation and reintegration support.”
She warned that failure to address these gaps could undermine national security efforts and delay sustainable peace, as affected women remain without adequate support, recognition or pathways to reintegration.
Also giving an insight, the country director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), Dr Dauda Garuba said the OPSC has so far met what it was established to achieved which is to provide an exit corridor for low-profile insurgents who were conscripted into Boko Haram.
He however said just like every other programme of disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration in conflict environments, the female gender is obviously discounted.
“We must be deliberate in ensuring that OPSC programme is inclusive to achieve a more lasting solution to its original intention.”
Planned review by the military
Military authorities have signalled plans to review and potentially expand rehabilitation and deradicalisation efforts for individuals linked to insurgent groups, including greater inclusion of women in structured programs.
Speaking on the progress of ongoing rehabilitation initiatives, the National Coordinator OPSC, Brig-Gen Yusuf Ali at CDD media parley in Abuja, he acknowledged that the programme initially faced teething problems particularly around coordination, transparency and determining best practices for handling female participants.
However, he noted that reforms over time have improved accountability and operational effectiveness.
The handling of women and children, he explained, has largely been overseen by state governments with support from UNICEF, which provides specialised expertise in their care and rehabilitation.
Still, he indicated that recommendations to create more structured rehabilitation spaces for women would be considered by the National Steering Committee in collaboration with other agencies.
He emphasised that anyone exposed to extremist environments, whether voluntarily or not, requires a systematic rehabilitation process.
According to him, exposure to violence, trauma and extremist ideology can have lasting psychological effects, making psychosocial therapy and deradicalisation critical before reintegration into society.
As part of transparency efforts, he assured that journalists would soon be granted access to observe operations at Camp Malam Sidi. The visit, he said is to coincide with the graduation of a new batch of rehabilitated participants as coordinated by the Department of Media Operations under directives from the Chief of Defence Staff.
He explained that community acceptance remains a challenge with lingering resentment among populations affected by insurgency, adding that emotions such as fear and anger persist, especially among victims.
Overcoming challenges
However, he noted that hostility has gradually declined due to sustained engagement efforts as he explained that programmes led by organisations such as the International Organisation for Migration have played a key role in easing reintegration.
Some of those programmes includes community sensitisation campaigns, family tracing and pre-reintegration meetings that reconnect participants with relatives before their return.
He also addressed concerns about why individuals who voluntarily surrender are still detained, explaining that such measures are necessary to provide rehabilitation, including trauma counseling and deradicalisation, regardless of how individuals entered insurgent environments.
According to him, recent reforms include the introduction of audiovisual counter-narrative tools designed to challenge extremist ideologies in controlled settings.
Those innovations, he noted further, are supported by international partners, including the European Union, which are helping improve outcomes. He moted too that there are ongoing discussions about extending the duration of rehabilitation programmes.
Despite the progress, he identified misinformation and public perception as major challenges, adding that negative narratives about the programme could undermine its success if not countered with accurate information as he stressed that public understanding is essential to sustaining both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategy.
Recommendations
As part of recommendations therefore, it was noted that there is a need for more practical and tangible recommendation like the implementation of a women-focused, multifactorial and systematic programmes paired with localised deradicalisation efforts that account for northern Nigerian cultural practices and customs.
It noted, for instance, the creation of Operation Safe Corridor for women, providing a government-led, deliberate strategy that acknowledges women’s roles and experiences in insurgency by ensuring sustained peace in northern Nigeria.
Also, the Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with other women-focused initiatives should be women-led towards deradicalisation.