The Borno State government says repentant terrorists undergoing rehabilitation and reintegration programme are mandated to swear an oath with the Quran as part of measures designed to forestall their return to terrorism.

The commissioner for women affairs and social development, Zuwaira Gambo, disclosed this in an interview on News Central TV on Monday.

“When they come to us through all the processes of the Borno model, the last thing they do is they take an oath with the Quran. Once you swear by the Quran, you know the implication,” she stated.

Ms Gambo’s statement came amid widespread concerns that rehabilitated and reintegrated terrorists might return to their old ways. 

Acknowledging the concerns, the commissioner said the oath-taking with the holy book formed part of the deradicalisation and reintegration model in the state.

“People assume that they will go back to the bush; well, they may, but they are dead on arrival. So it is not even about whether they have been certified or we trust them or not. The law of the jungle takes care of that,” she stated. 

Ms Gambo, however, identified inadequate funding as one of the major challenges affecting the programme.

The development came weeks after 744 former terrorists and victims of violent extremism graduated from the federal government’s de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration camp under the Operation Safe Corridor.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International and the Nigerian Bar Association, acknowledged the rehabilitation and reintegration programme, stressing the need for transparency in the process.