Borno Government Fails To Disclose 2026 Spending On Rehabilitation Of ‘Repentant Boko Haram Members’ After N4.3Billion Spent In 2025

The Borno State Government has failed to disclose how much it intends to spend on the rehabilitation of ‘repentant terrorists’ in 2026, a SaharaReporters review of the state’s approved 2026 budget has shown.

Traditionally, the state captures the expenditure under the budget line item, “livelihood support for Repentant Boko Haram members”, on which it has spent several billions of naira over the years.

Checks of the 2026 budget document, however, suggest a lack of transparency regarding the planned expenditure for the fiscal year, as the government failed to specify the exact amount earmarked for the rehabilitation of ‘repentant terrorists’.

Unlike previous budgets where allocations were clearly stated, the latest document does not provide a dedicated figure for the programme, making it difficult to ascertain the level of funding approved for the initiative.

The omission comes amid continued public debate over the cost and effectiveness of the rehabilitation and reintegration programme, which has remained a key component of efforts aimed at addressing the long-running insurgency in the North-East.

Just days before this report, it was revealed that the Borno State Government reintegrated a total of 720 repentant insurgents who had completed their deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme back into society.

The latest batch, described as low-risk and minor clients, formed part of Batch 9 under the state’s rehabilitation initiative and was sworn in using the Holy Quran before being released to return to their respective communities across the state.

Earlier, a review of Borno State’s budgetary spending revealed that the government expended about N7.7 billion on the rehabilitation and reintegration of “repentant” Boko Haram members within 21 months, even as insurgent attacks continued across the state.

Findings from the state’s 2025 full-year budget performance report show that N4.3 billion was spent on “livelihood support for Repentant Boko Haram members” in 2025 alone. Of this amount, N1.6 billion was disbursed between October and December, reflecting a significant surge in spending within a three-month period.

The figure adds to an earlier N3.45 billion reportedly spent between January and September 2024 under the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, bringing the total expenditure during the period under review to approximately N7.7 billion.

While the state spent these amounts on rehabilitating ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members, bombings and killings have continued across parts of Borno State, raising fresh questions about the impact of the programme on the overall security situation.

On the evening of Monday, March 16, 2026, multiple bomb explosions rocked Maiduguri. No fewer than 23 persons were confirmed dead, while 108 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The coordinated attacks occurred at three separate locations across the city, throwing residents into panic and prompting a swift response from security agencies and emergency services.

On Saturday, one person was killed and several classrooms were set ablaze by Boko Haram terrorists during an attack on Government Day Secondary School in Kautikari Village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

There have been controversies surrounding the substantial public funds invested in rehabilitating ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members by the Nigerian government and states such as Borno, with critics describing the programme as a misuse of scarce public resources. (SaharaReporters)