…as Zulum submits seven commissioner nominees
Thousands of repentant Boko Haram terrorists undergoing rehabilitation and reintegration in Borno State will be required to swear an oath with the Quran before returning to their communities, the state government has said.

The former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, disclosed this in an interview aired on News Central Television on Monday.

Gambo said the oath-taking process formed a key component of the Borno model for rehabilitation and reintegration of former insurgents.

According to her, the state government had continued to address concerns that some repentant terrorists could return to insurgency after completing the de-radicalisation programme.

She explained that swearing by the Quran was considered a strong deterrent against returning to terrorism.

“Taking an oath with the holy book without adhering to it has a lot of implications on the security of lives and property,” she said.

“When they come to us through all the processes of the Borno model, the last thing they do is they take an oath with the Quran.”

Once you swear by the Quran, you know the implications.

“People assume that they will go back to the bush; well, they may, but they are dead on arrival. So, it is not even about whether they have been certified or we trust them or not.

“The law of the jungle takes care of that. The moment you step out and you surrender to the constituted authority, you become an infidel.”

She, however, identified inadequate funding as one of the major challenges affecting the smooth programme implementation.

“The challenge has to do with funding, because you bring a lot of people on board, but how are you going to feed them, clothe them and provide them with access to education?” Gambo queried.

Meanwhile, Governor Babagana Zulum has forwarded the names of seven commissioner nominees to the Borno State House of Assembly for confirmation.

Zulum dissolved the 22-member State Executive Council last month to allow members to pursue future endeavours, including political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.

The nominees were submitted yesterday through an executive communication transmitted to the Assembly and read during plenary by the Speaker, Abdulkarim Lawan.

The nominees are Alhaji Sugun Mai Mele, Prof. Usman Tar, Saina Buba, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, Umar Lawan Dalorima, Prof. Baba Mallam Gana and Hon. Aliyu Mohammed Buba, a former Commissioner for Transport and Energy.

The development is part of efforts by the Zulum administration to strengthen inclusive governance and improve service delivery in the state.

The nominees are expected to appear before the Assembly for screening and possible confirmation before the end of next week, ahead of their inauguration.