By: Sunday Ameh
The Borno State Government has spent over ₦6 billion in the last 18 months on the rehabilitation and reintegration of “repentant” Boko Haram fighters, a review of official budget performance documents has revealed.
According to findings by SaharaReporters, the funds were allocated for the state’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme aimed at rehabilitating former insurgents.
Between January and September 2024 alone, ₦3.45 billion was expended out of a budgeted ₦3.46 billion, while an additional ₦7.4 billion was earmarked for the programme in 2025. A separate review of the state’s 2025 third-quarter budget performance showed that ₦2.6 billion had already been spent between January and September of the same year.
The report stated that the payments were listed under “livelihood support for repentant Boko Haram members,” with ₦758.1 million disbursed between July and September 2025.
However, despite the heavy investment in the DDR initiative, frontline Nigerian soldiers have accused some “repentant” insurgents of sabotaging ongoing military operations by leaking sensitive information — including strategies, positions, and weapons details — to active Boko Haram commanders.
“They tell Boko Haram everything, including our routines and the number of troops stationed at the gates,” one soldier was quoted as saying. “They even reveal where we keep our rifles, grenades, and other weapons.”
The alleged sabotage, the soldiers said, continues to expose troops to deadly ambushes and attacks across the Northeast.
Meanwhile, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has repeatedly warned that Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists are regrouping in areas around Lake Chad and the Mandara Hills within the Sambisa Forest.
Zulum, while acknowledging ongoing military efforts, called for enhanced manpower, better air support, and the procurement of advanced drone and anti-drone technologies to counter the insurgents’ evolving tactics.
“ISWAP and Boko Haram are terrorists getting support internationally, and our porous borders through the Sahel remain a major problem,” the governor said. “If the Sahel is not secured, Nigeria will never be secured.”
The governor emphasized that kinetic operations must be complemented by non-kinetic approaches to achieve lasting peace in the region.
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