‘I Tore My Certificate, Thinking Education Was Haram’ – Ex-Boko Haram Member

A former Boko Haram member, Fatima Musa, has shared her regret over joining the terror group, stating that she was misled by a distorted interpretation of religion.

Speaking at a community dialogue meeting organized by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, Fatima recounted how she was indoctrinated into the group as a young woman.

“We were deceived in our youth through a misinterpretation of religion, only to later realise that we had gone down the wrong path,” she said.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, she further expressed deep regret for destroying her National Certificate in Education (NCE) after embracing the extremist belief that Western education was forbidden (Haram).

“I regret tearing up my NCE certificate when I foolishly believed that education was haram. Now, I understand the truth,” she admitted.

The Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, led by Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, has been at the forefront of de-radicalisation efforts, particularly for female members of the insurgent group in Nigeria’s North-East.

Allamin noted that Islamic clerics play a crucial role in countering extremist ideologies by presenting superior religious arguments that highlight the true teachings of Islam as a religion of peace.

“Boko Haram is an ideological group that has been misled by a distorted interpretation of the Holy Quran,” she said.

She explained that well-trained clerics are essential in correcting these misconceptions and helping former insurgents reintegrate into society.

According to Allamin, many de-radicalised women are now actively persuading others still in the bush to surrender and embrace peace.

“Some of these women are responsible for calling their female friends, husbands, and children in the bush to convince them to surrender,” she revealed.

The Borno Model: A Non-Kinetic Approach To Ending Insurgency

The Borno Model, introduced in 2021 by Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration, is a non-military approach to persuade insurgents to surrender.

Retired Brigadier-General Abdullahi Ishaq, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Zulum, described the initiative as a “win-win situation” for both the government and repentant insurgents.

“This is a community-driven initiative geared towards a win-win situation; both parties stand to gain from the model,” he said.

The programme relies on dialogue and designated reception centres, where former fighters lay down their arms and renounce violence.

The first group of insurgents surrendered on July 5, 2021, when nine fighters, alongside their 11 wives and 12 children, turned themselves in.