Nigeria: experts warn govt not to ignore ex-Boko Haram fighters’ threats to re-join insurgency

Former Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria are threatening they may pick up arms again and join the insurgency out of frustration that they have been neglected by the government since they surrendered in the last two years.
The Nigerian authorities promised Boko Haram fighters who surrendered that they would receive training and skills as an alternative to violence and militancy. But the former Islamist militants, who now live in camps in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria, now accuse the Nigerian government of neglect, saying it has ignored for months their essential needs. Frustrated by not getting enough support from the government, the ex-militants have warned they might return to fighting if they don’t get more support from the authorities. Some even told the media that they were better off fighting for the Boko Haram group than living in the camps.
According to reports, over the past two years, only few of over 100,000 former Boko Haram fighters have benefited from what the government promised, with most of them still living in various camps in Borno state awaiting reintegration. Some former members even recently staged a protest outside one of the camps over their concerns. Some have noted that several former combatants had already returned to their forest enclaves. Security experts and analysts have warned the Nigerian government against ignoring the agitations and threats from the former fighters. These warnings come amid reports that at least 47 women have been kidnapped in a remote area in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have operated.