Some angry Internally Displaced Persons in Borno State, North-East Nigeria, have condemned the decision by the Borno State Government to reintegrate over 1,000 repentant Boko Haram fighters into society.

According to the International Crisis Group, Boko Haram sect has killed over 70,000 people and displaced about 2.5 million people with Borno State most hit as the epicentre of the insurgency.

Politics Hub Nigeria reports that the IDPs’ anger is based on the fact that they are still languishing in pain and sorrow caused by the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East.

The decision of the Borno State Government follows the revelation by the Nigerian Army in a statement by its spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, on Tuesday that no fewer than 1,000 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (a Boko Haram offshoot) members had laid down their arms and surrendered to the troops.

The state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Home Affairs, Mr Babakura Jatau, had urged the host communities to accept the ex-fighters as one of them expressing the State Government’s readiness to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society.

But a number of IDPs in various camps have condemned the decision.

The IDPs questioned the sincerity of the Boko Haram fighters’ repentance, saying they were not ready to accept the decision of the government to reintegrate the ex-terrorists.

They said considering the massive loss of lives, properties and source of livelihood caused by the Boko Haram Insurgents, it was unfair and unjust for the Borno State Government to be considering such an action while they languish at the camps.

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