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Soldiers Reject Fresh Move To Deploy ‘Repentant’ Terrorists In Military Operations, Fear Sabotage, Intelligence Leaks
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Nigerian soldiers battling Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East have accused the Borno State government of issuing a fresh directive compelling them to work alongside ‘repentant’ terrorists who were recently reintegrated into society under the state’s controversial deradicalisation programme.
The development, according to serving military personnel who spoke to SaharaReporters, has triggered unease within frontline formations, with many soldiers expressing fears that the arrangement could expose military operations to renewed sabotage and intelligence leaks.
Sources told the media that some of the former Boko Haram fighters who publicly pledged loyalty to the Nigerian state during recent reintegration exercises have now been mobilised and attached to local security groups that support military operations against insurgents across parts of Borno State.
The soldiers alleged that the move was part of efforts by the state government to justify its rehabilitation and reintegration programme, which has come under criticism from members of the public, including victims of insurgency and some security personnel.
According to the sources, military authorities and troops on the ground remain sceptical about the sincerity of several former insurgents despite undergoing rehabilitation programmes.
“The government wants to prove that the reintegration programme is working, so some of these ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members are being attached to security groups that work with troops in operations,” one soldier told SaharaReporters.
“But many of us are uncomfortable with the arrangement because there have been cases in the past where information leaked and operations were compromised. Trust is a major issue.”
Another source said soldiers have deliberately kept some of the former insurgents at separate locations within military facilities because of fears that they could still maintain links with active terrorist cells operating in the region.
“We don’t trust them completely. There have been too many incidents in the past. That is why they are often given separate accommodation. Yet now there is pressure for us to work closely with them during our missions,” the source said.
“You can see how these Boko Haram fighters have been killing our ogas (commanders). That should tell you there is a leak in information about their movements. Yet the government is asking us to trust these people and work with them. It won’t work,” the source said.
The soldiers argued that instead of compelling troops to collaborate with former Boko Haram fighters, the Nigerian government should focus on providing better equipment, intelligence support and welfare packages for personnel risking their lives in the fight against terrorism.
According to them, the latest directive has generated anxiety among troops who fear that operational details could once again find their way to insurgent groups still active in parts of Borno and neighbouring states.
The concerns come barely two weeks after the Borno State government reintegrated 720 ‘repentant’ insurgents, alongside 992 spouses and 2,050 children, into various communities under its “Borno Model” deradicalisation and rehabilitation programme.
The beneficiaries were among former insurgents who surrendered to security forces and subsequently underwent rehabilitation at the Hajj Camp in Maiduguri before being formally returned to society.
Speaking during the reintegration ceremony, the Special Adviser to Governor Babagana Zulum on Security and member of the state’s Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Committee, retired Brigadier General Abdullahi Ishaq, described the programme as a critical component of Borno’s non-kinetic strategy against insurgency.
He said the initiative, which began in July 2021, was founded on forgiveness, rehabilitation and community acceptance of former insurgents willing to renounce violence.
According to Ishaq, more than 350,000 individuals have reportedly left insurgent camps and surrendered since the programme commenced, while a total of 9,680 persons have been reintegrated through nine batches.
The official maintained that those processed through the programme underwent vocational training, religious and behavioural reorientation, counselling and skills acquisition before being returned to their communities.
However, the programme has remained controversial, with critics questioning whether former insurgents can be fully trusted and whether adequate safeguards exist to prevent them from returning to extremist activities.
The latest concerns raised by soldiers suggest that those reservations persist even among security personnel directly engaged in counter-insurgency operations across the North-East.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
Several calls placed to the Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, went unanswered. A text message seeking the Army’s response to the allegations was also sent to her and successfully delivered, but she had not responded at the time of filing.
Sahara Reporters
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted two persons in Adamawa State with ₦34 million in cash, with the suspects allegedly linked to a kidnapping syndicate.
The suspects were intercepted with the cash during an operation in the state.
The Comptroller of Immigration Service, Sani Sule-Jega, disclosed this at a media briefing in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the suspects claimed the money was intended to pay ransom for their abducted brother.
In a separate operation, the Adamawa State Command of the NIS also intercepted 17 irregular migrants at Rumde Baruw in Yola North Local Government Area of the state.
The undocumented migrants were intercepted at a private three-bedroom residence during an operation by officers of the command.
Sule-Jega said preliminary profiling showed that 13 of the migrants were Cameroonian nationals, comprising eight males and five females, while the remaining four were Chadian nationals, all males.
The Comptroller noted a shift in the accommodation pattern of undocumented migrants, particularly their increasing use of private and unregistered apartments instead of conventional lodging facilities such as hotels.
He said the service was intensifying surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and address emerging patterns of irregular migration in the state.
Sule-Jega reiterated the command’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, improving migration management and strengthening border security.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in maintaining peace and security across the state.
The suspects and recovered cash have been taken into custody for further investigation and necessary action in accordance with established procedures and applicable laws.
The Comptroller General of Immigration has directed that the suspects and exhibits be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.
A popular Kano social media political commentator, Ibrahim Khalil Dan Shagamu, has been reportedly killed in his apartment in Kano State.
Dan Shagamu, who operated under the brand Dan-shagamu International, was known for his social media videos and commentary on political, religious and community issues.
Amnesty International Nigeria confirmed his killing in a statement posted on X on Wednesday, saying his body was found in a pool of blood at his home.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the killing of a social media political commentator Ibrahim Khalil Dan Shagamu whose body was found today in a pool of blood at his home in Kano,” the organisation said.
“He was brutally slaughtered after being overpowered by his killers.”
Details surrounding the circumstances of the killing were still unclear as of Wednesday.Amnesty International called on the Nigerian authorities to investigate the killing and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“The Nigerian authorities must investigate this incident and ensure that those suspected of responsibility are brought to justice,” it said, while tagging the Nigeria Police Force.
The rights organisation also expressed concern over what it described as increasing politically related threats and intimidation ahead of the elections.
“As the elections approach, we continue to receive disturbing reports of politically related threats to life and intimidation,” Amnesty said.
News of Dan Shagamu’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief among his followers and residents, with many taking to social media to express shock and offer prayers for his soul.
Reports circulating on social media said Dan Shagamu was killed in a gruesome manner, with some describing the attack as “yankan rago”, a Hausa expression referring to throat-slitting.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate a viral social media statement allegedly attributed to him in which he purportedly warned Northerners that they would “suffer the most” if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 election.
The statement, circulated on Facebook and other digital platforms alongside Akpabio’s photograph and official designation, has sparked controversy, prompting the Senate President to formally deny making the remark.
In a petition signed by his Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, Akpabio described the publication as “manifestly false, inflammatory and dangerously divisive,” urging the DSS to investigate its origin and distribution.
The viral graphic attributes the following statement to Akpabio: “Northerners, you will be the ones to suffer the most, if you allow Tinubu to lose the election.”
Akpabio, however, said there is no credible evidence linking him to the statement.
According to the petition, no identifiable date, venue, speech, interview, audio or video recording, official statement or credible media report has been produced to authenticate the alleged quotation.
The Senate President alleged that the graphic was deliberately fabricated and presented as an authentic statement with the aim of misleading the public, inflaming regional sentiments and portraying him as hostile to Nigerians from the North.
Akpabio also drew the DSS’s attention to several individuals allegedly identified through a preliminary review of publicly accessible Facebook records as among the early amplifiers of the disputed material.
The petition named Abdullai Musa, who allegedly shared the graphic in a Facebook group known as “Sheik Muhammad bin Uthman Group 24,” and Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post allegedly reproduced the graphic alongside commentary attributed to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar.
It further referenced a verified Facebook account belonging to Ibrahim Umar Ammar, which allegedly later reproduced the graphic and substantially similar commentary.
Akpabio’s office, however, stressed that the individuals mentioned in the petition should not be presumed guilty, describing them only as “material persons of interest” whose activities could assist investigators in tracing the origin and circulation of the disputed publication.
The Senate President is asking the DSS to investigate the publication records, devices, communications and provenance of the graphic in accordance with Nigerian law.
The petition comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections and growing concerns over the spread of inflammatory, misleading and fabricated political content on social media.
The statement was issued by Jackson Udom, Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media.
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