I want to teach good citizenship, says repentant insurgent

Amidst the persistent public skepticism on the genuineness of the repentance of Boko Haram insurgents, 86 repentant young Boko Haram insurgents are currently undergoing reorientation and rehabilitation at the Borno State Rehabilitation Center, Maiduguri.

This set, three months old now at the center, are the ones who, Kanem Trust learnt, surrendered of their own accord to the military in the course of the war against insurgency.

They are learning English Language, Mathematics and Social Studies, in addition to a few vocational skills such as tailoring to enable them become good citizens in the society.

Kanem Trust accompanied officials of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), led by Dr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, the Managing Director of the Commission, on a tour of the rehabilitation center, where it encountered Ibrahim Yawale, one of the repentant insurgents.

Ibrahim, now 18, who hails from Konduga, Borno State, tells the story of how he was conscripted into Boko Haram.

“We were conscripted in 2014 when the insurgents captured Gwoza. They stormed our school, Central Primary School, Gwoza, and herded us away into the bush all the 360 of us.

“They packed all of us numbering over 1000, including other captives from other places, teaching us Holy Quran. That was how they made us to do things against our will,” Ibrahim recalled.

The youngster steered clear of mentioning anything about bloodshed or participating in insurgent operations before his surrender.

However, he said: “We were in the bush for two years and six months before our surrender to the military. We were first taken to Giwa Barracks here in Maiduguri, where we stayed for three years before we were finally brought to this center where we have stayed for three months now.”

The youngster expressed gratitude to God for guiding him to repent and was vibrating with hope in life as a good and law-abiding citizen.

“I am glad to have found a new life in repentance and I strongly advise those (unrepentant insurgents) in the bush to repent, surrender and join us to enjoy the new life in the normal society as good citizens,” Ibrahim said.

His life ambition, he said, was to become a teacher.

“I hope to study well and train as a teacher to enable me teach other children how to be good citizens of their society,” he disclosed.