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The Borno State Government has defended its rehabilitation and reintegration programme for repentant Boko Haram fighters, stating that former terrorists are required to swear an oath with the Quran before they are allowed back into society. The state said the process is part of measures designed to ensure that ex-fighters do not return to terrorism after undergoing deradicalisation. 
Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, explained during an interview aired on News Central Television that oath-taking with the Quran is treated as a binding spiritual commitment with serious consequences for anyone who violates it. According to her, many people wrongly assume the former insurgents will simply return to the bush after reintegration, but she argued that those who attempt to do so risk being killed by terrorist groups who would now view them as traitors or informants. 
Gambo also acknowledged that funding remains one of the biggest challenges affecting the reintegration programme. She said the government faces difficulties providing food, clothing, education, and welfare support for the large number of people passing through rehabilitation and reintegration schemes. The commissioner stressed that sustainable support is necessary to prevent poverty and exclusion from pushing vulnerable individuals back toward violent groups. 
The programme has continued to generate mixed reactions across Nigeria, especially amid renewed attacks by terrorist groups in parts of the North-East and concerns about insecurity spreading into other regions of the country. Critics have questioned whether repentant insurgents can truly be trusted, while supporters of the initiative argue that rehabilitation remains necessary to reduce long-term violence and encourage defections from extremist groups. 
