Maiduguri: The ‘Borno Model’, introduced in 2021 by Gov. Babagana Zulum’s administration, is a non-kinetic approach that offers insurgents willing to renounce violence the opportunity to surrender to the military. The model primarily relies on dialogue to persuade Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters to lay down their arms at designated reception centres and embrace peace.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this is a community-driven initiative aimed at achieving a win-win situation, where both parties benefit. Retired Brig.-Gen Abdullahi Ishaq, Special Adviser on Security to Gov. Zulum, highlighted this during a presentation on the initiative. On July 5, 2021, the first group of nine insurgents, accompanied by their 11 wives and 12 children, surrendered and were brought to Maiduguri. This marked the beginning of a mass surrender, with over 100,000 individuals laying down their arms within a few months. In an interview earlier this year, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, stated that over 250,000 people had surrendered as a result of the non-kinetic approach.
Last week, Gov. Zulum briefed a Sahel security think tank, the Alliance of Sahel Institute for Security Studies, alongside members of the Norwegian Institute for Conflict Resolution. He revealed that the number of surrendered individuals had exceeded 300,000. However, it is important for the public to recognise that not all those who surrendered were combatants. They include a mix of fighters, non-combatants, and their families. Among them are farmers, women, and children who had been held captive by the insurgents, including some of the Chibok girls, who are classified as rescued victims.
The Borno Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, noted that the model aligns with the UN framework for handling individuals exiting terrorist organisations. He explained that it follows a structured process known as Disarmament, Demobilisation, De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation, Reconciliation, and Reintegration (DDDRRR). The Borno Model draws inspiration from the United Nations-backed initiatives in Sierra Leone and Liberia, which were introduced to curb widespread violence in those countries. Similarly, the Borno Model has gained international recognition, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for UN support in managing the mass surrender.
The model was adopted following a stakeholders’ meeting in Maiduguri, which included security agencies, civil society organisations, international bodies, and traditional and religious leaders. This decision came after the military had technically defeated the insurgents. Zulum stressed that after a decade of conflict and massive destruction, Borno’s people saw no reason to continue the war when peace was possible through dialogue.
The opportunity for mass surrender arose following the death of the notorious sect leader, Abubakar Shekau. Moreover, most extremists who founded the sect with Mohammed Yusuf and Shekau were killed by the military or died in the Boko Haram-ISWAP leadership struggle that led to Shekau’s demise. Ishaq explained that the death of Shekau created a significant vacuum in the command structure, which could not be filled immediately. The architects of the Borno Model capitalised on this opportunity.
Under the DDDRRR framework, the military oversees the Disarmament and Demobilisation process by collecting weapons from surrendered fighters and gathering intelligence on planted explosives. Meanwhile, the De-radicalisation process, aimed at eliminating extremist ideologies and violent tendencies, is conducted by clerics and other experts. Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, Head of the community-based NGO Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, runs a private de-radicalisation project focusing on female members of the sect.
Allamin also highlighted that many women who voluntarily joined the sect but have since been de-radicalised through her foundation are now playing a crucial role in persuading others to surrender. Fatima Musa, a former Boko Haram member who has undergone de-radicalisation, shared her experience at a community dialogue meeting organised by the foundation. She admitted that, as young people with limited religious knowledge, they had been misled.
The Rehabilitation, Reconciliation, and Reintegration components of the model are implemented for those who have been successfully de-radicalised. They are trained in various skills of their choice, such as carpentry, bricklaying, welding, mechanics, soap making, and tailoring, to enable them to become self-sufficient and cater for their daily needs. In addition, strategic communication plays a crucial role in the reintegration process by fostering reconciliation between former insurgents and their communities.
The Borno Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, whose ministry plays a key role in the rehabilitation and reintegration process, emphasised that the majority of those reintegrated are not combatants. So far, many proponents, including the Chief of Defence Staff, say non-kinetic approaches provide 70 per cent of lasting conflict solutions. Musa reaffirmed the military’s commitment, stressing that mass surrender is a key chance to end the insurgency if well managed.
For many in Borno, the approach has greatly reduced terror attacks and boosted farming, rehabilitation, and resettlement efforts. However, they urge the government to strengthen both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies to tackle insurgents in Sambisa Forest, the Mandara Mountains, and Lake Chad. They believe that the intelligence from surrendered insurgents provides security agencies with enough information to weaken the insurgency if properly utilised. They also urged stakeholders, especially the military, to act on President Bola Tinubu’s directive, as announced by Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru, to contain major security challenges by December.