By Yemi Adebowale

Yes, it’s good news that hundreds of Boko Haram terrorists are surrendering. About 500 fighters have so far pulled out of this evil gang. The bulk of the combatants who submitted are from Bama and Gwoza. I’m hoping that in the coming days, more will pull out. The traumatised people of the North-east in particular and Nigerians in general want an end to this madness called Boko Haram. However, the response of the military and the Nigerian government to the terrorists’ capitulation is appalling. They have been pampering the fighters that surrendered, which is absolutely unnecessary. The display of new clothes, assorted food items, groceries and toiletries given to the repentant terrorists and their families is repulsive. Then came this drive to rehabilitate and reintegrate the ex-fighters into the society. This is most frightful and may end up putting this country into a bigger problem in few years’ time if this response is not swiftly amended.

Much as I would not want more Boko Haram terrorists discouraged from surrendering, this reintegration “deal” should be suspended. For now, fighters surrendering should not be on the streets and in our communities. For me, they should be moved into special detention facility for the purpose of deradicalisation. Repentant terrorists should be in this special facility, helping the military with information to dislodge thousands of Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters scattered in the North-east. They are capable of supplying information that could help end the war.

Now, here is the real danger with rehabilitation and reintegration: Terrorists hardly change. They become moles when quickly allowed back into the larger society. Before you know what is happening, they will resume working for their terror organisation. When reintegrated, they can also infiltrate security agencies by getting recruited as seen in the case of Afghanistan. Here, they become informants and eventually destroy these security agencies. There is really nothing like “repentant” terrorists in the real sense of it. They can never be trusted. In the case of Afghanistan, so many Taliban fighters “repented”, got integrated and found their way into the Afghan army. The Afghan government was even forced by its American ally to release over 5,000 hardened insurgents to lock down a peace deal that never materialised. The released terrorists simply went back to strengthen the camp of the Taliban. That was why they were able to take over Afghanistan with ease.

Another scary thing about our so called repentant Boko Haram is that they surrendered without coming along with their weapons. They can’t be fighters without weapons. I did not see a single weapon in the footage shared by the military. A senior Boko Haram commander called Amir Adamu also known as Rugu Rugu, surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Gwoza without a single weapon. Rugu Rugu is responsible for the deaths of troops and innocent citizens around Mandara hill and Sambisa forest in Gwoza. Bomb makers – Musa Adamu a.k.a Mala Musa Abuja and his second in command, Usman Adamu a.k.a Abu Darda – surrendered without a single bomb. Then, the Army is talking about reintegration and rehabilitation, while celebrating the “repentant” terrorists. This country can’t afford to embrace and trust these “repentant” terrorists extensively. Their moves may not be informed by genuine repentance.

I understand the feelings of those who care less, if the surrender is genuine or false. They just want to see the terrorists surrender because they are fed up with the war. We are all fed up with war, but these capitulations require great caution to avoid a bigger crisis in the future.

The response of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State to the ongoing surrender by Boko Haram fighters is thought-provoking. He thinks the development has left the state with two extremely difficult situations. Zulum remarked recently: “We have to critically look between two extreme conditions and decide our future. We have to choose between an endless war or to cautiously accept the surrendered terrorists, which is really painful and difficult for anyone that has lost loved ones; difficult for all of us and even for the military, whose colleagues have died and for volunteers.

“No one would find it easy to accept killers of his or her parents, children and other loved ones. In the last 12 years, we have been in this war, and we have lost thousands of fellow citizens. We don’t know the whereabouts of thousands of others; we don’t know whether they are alive or dead? In these 12 years, millions have been made homeless and many wealthy farmers, transporters and others have been rendered poor. Accepting Boko Haram has the risk of seriously offending the feelings of victims with potential of civil rebellion, just as there was the risk that if Boko Haram fighters willing to surrender were rejected, they could join ISWAP to swell the ranks of fighters in the bush and the path of peace becomes narrowed.”

The scenario painted by Zulum is what is called Catch-22, a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations. The term was coined by American author of novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays, Joseph Heller. His best-known work is the 1961 novel Catch-22, a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for an absurd or contradictory choice.

But the issue of absurd or contradictory choice for the people would not come up if the military and the Nigeria government did not start pampering repentant terrorists. This dilemma Zulum talked about was created not just by the Army, but also by the federal and Borno State governments. I am immensely saddened that some men will come out with schoolgirls they abducted years back; girls they raped and forcefully turned into teenage mothers, and then, they are celebrated for surrendering. That was what happened with two of the terrorists that surrendered in Borno State last week. They brought along two Chibok girls they adducted in 2014, now with four kids. This is not good for the psyche of the trumatised people of Borno State in particular and the North-east in general. Government and the military should put “repentant” terrorists aside in special detention camps, and hopefully, they will be useful to the military. They cannot be in our communities and must not be celebrated or spoiled. For now, they should be prisoners of war.

Originally published at Thisday