Musa Shantu, Director, Orientation and Behavioural Modification, National Orientation Agency, says plans have been concluded to sensitise communities of repentant Boko Haram members to accept them back.
Shantu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja said the exercise would be carried out in Maiduguri and Goza communities in Borno.
The director said that the sensitisation became necessary because of the challenges faced by repentant Boko Haram members who had undergone de-radicalisation and were ready to be reintegrated into their communities.
He added that getting back into the society had become difficult for most of them as some members of their communities had developed negative perceptions about them.
He said: “In the next two weeks or so, we will be going to communities in Maiduguri and Goza. We would have been there before now but we are sensitive of the Ramadan period.
“Everybody in the community will be part of the dialogue. It is a complete community issue.
“There are 22 communities in all but since it is a pilot phase; we are going to two communities. The other 20 will be covered in the next phase.
“Basically, our work is sensitization and this is a special assignment; the task is to ensure that those who have been de-radicalised go back to their communities for reintegration.
“So it is our duty as an agency of government vested with the responsibility of mobilisation and sensitisation to ensure that it happens.’’
The director said that the pilot assignment would give the agency more insight on the matter.
According to him, the NOA will dialogue with members of the communities to reassure them that the repentant insurgents have been de-radicalised and changed.
He, however, stated that while many of the repentant Boko Haram members wanted to go back to their own communities of origin, others preferred other communities.
The director further explained that some of the ex-combatants were victims because they were forcefully recruited when their villages and towns were invaded.
He added that NOA was happy to have the services of other relevant stakeholders such as clerics to disabuse the minds of other members of the communities who might be contemplating joining the group.