A repentant female Boko Haram member who underwent deradicalisation and resettled in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, Fatima Musa, has lamented shredding into pieces her National Certificate in Education (NCE).

Musa made this known during a community dialogue on understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence organised for the repentants and community leaders of Mafa in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

The dialogue was organised by a community-based NGO, Allamin Foundation, with support from the British Government under the UKaid.

Musa, who was deradicalised with other repentant women by the foundation, said many of them joined the insurgency at a young age after they were misled.

She said: “We were misled as young people through the use of religion and later discovered that we went the wrong way after were deradicalised by the foundation.

“We met with clerics who put us on the right track regarding Islam. We are now mature and more knowledgeable on Islam and the teachings of the Holy Prophet that promote peace and tolerance.

“I regret tearing my NCE certificate up when I made the mistake of accepting the twisted ideology that Western education was Haram.

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“One of my prayers for now is to reach out to my father, who is now in a neighbouring country to beg for his forgiveness for joining the sect against his wish.”

Also speaking at the dialogue, another deradicalised female, who identified herself as Bintu, pleaded for forgiveness from the people of Mafa and urged for support to the foundation to reach out to more women and men in the bush.

Bintu said a few cases of some repentants returning to the bush had to do with stigma and harassment by some people, telling them that they were doomed for hellfire despite their repentance.

She said: “If you keep telling people they are doomed, they’ll say since there’s no forgiveness, they had better go back and continue.

“Some of the surrendered have easy money and others loot in the bush. They are struggling for survival with other citizens in their communities.

“Such repentants need to be encouraged to start a new life to sustain it.”

Some residents of Mafa who also spoke at the meeting, urged the government to do more on the deradicalisation and resettlement process through more empowerment support to victims and those who repented in line with transitional Justice.

In her remarks, the Executive Director of Allamin Foundation, Hamsatu Allamin, said the dialogue was organised to discuss issues arising from the reintegration process and the way forward regarding challenges faced.

The Star