No fewer than 110 women who were once influenced by the Boko Haram ideology have been deradicalised and are now working as peacemakers in their various communities in Borno State.
The Executive Secretary of Al-Amin Foundation for Peace and Development, Hamsatu Allamin, disclosed this in Maiduguri on Friday while addressing the Borno Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Lawan Wakilbe.
Allamin noted that the women, who were previously swayed by the insurgents’ misinterpretation of Qur’anic and Hadith knowledge, have undergone a transformation and are now engaging in countering the teachings of the terrorist group.
She said the deradicalisation programme has been successful in not only changing the women’s mindset but also in empowering them to become agents of peace.
“Some of the deradicalised women have even gone on to further their Western education, a testament to their newfound commitment to peace and development,” she revealed.
Allamin, however, expressed concern over the plight of the children of the deradicalised women, saying they require special intervention.
“Having been exposed to the harsh realities of the insurgency, they need targeted support to overcome their traumatic experiences and reintegrate into society.
Efforts are being made to provide them with the necessary care and attention, but more needs to be done to ensure their full recovery and reintegration,” she said.
Speaking, the Borno Commissioner of Education, Science, and Technology, Lawan Wakilbe, highlighted the daunting challenges faced by children in the state, particularly those affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
He noted that he was concerned about the long-term objective of reintegrating these children into society and had sought support from organisations to address this issue.
According to him, there were 607,000 conflict-affected children in the IDP camps, mostly women, and he emphasised the need to educate them and prevent them from being exploited.
He promised to provide support for the foundation to tackle this issue and encouraged the use of deradicalised women for advocacy to encourage more surrendering.
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