A Borno State indigene, Enoch Yohanna, has accused the Federal Government of Nigeria of allegedly granting financial payouts of up to ₦3 million to rehabilitated Boko Haram insurgents.
Speaking at a recent public event, Yohanna expressed concern over the alleged use of public funds to compensate individuals accused of carrying out violent attacks and mass abductions.
He said the development remained painful for victims and families affected by insurgency in the North-East, particularly those who lost loved ones during attacks allegedly carried out by members of the terrorist group.
The controversy centres on Operation Safe Corridor, an initiative introduced by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.
The programme was designed as a non-violent exit strategy for “low-risk” and repentant insurgents through a framework focused on deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
Yohanna alleged that former insurgents are grouped according to the number of people they reportedly killed and the type of weapons they used before undergoing rehabilitation for varying periods.
According to him, some rehabilitated ex-fighters allegedly receive ₦3 million as payoff alongside monthly stipends of ₦50,000 after completing the programme.
He further alleged that some former insurgents who could not adapt to civilian life were recruited into civilian security structures, including the Civilian Joint Task Force, while others were allegedly sent to neighbouring countries for mining activities.
Yohanna also claimed that some of the rehabilitated individuals who sustain injuries during operations are transported back to Maiduguri for treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
He alleged that some state governments were involved in financing security arrangements linked to the engagement of former insurgents in local security operations.
The Borno indigene expressed frustration over what he described as preferential treatment allegedly given to former insurgents despite the pain suffered by victims of attacks.
He claimed that some rehabilitated insurgents now move freely with security escorts and luxury vehicles, while many victims of insurgency continue to struggle without adequate support.
Yohanna further stated that the experience had left many victims emotionally traumatised and feeling abandoned despite their losses during years of insurgency in the region.
The Federal Government has yet to officially respond to the allegations.