Tope Shola AKINYETUN
Ikponmwosa EBOMOYI
Osariyekemwen Ambrose IYASE
| Abstract: | Despite the efforts by the Nigerian government to reintegrate former Boko Haram combatants through the Operation Safe Corridor (OSC) programme and structure a bridge between insurgency and peace, evidence shows that surrender often results in social suspicion and rarely in reconciliation. This study, which adopts a qualitative approach to sample 49 purposively selected community members across the North East, examines the overlap between reintegration and human security. Findings reveal community testimonies explained through the fragile faith of surrender, the constant failure to keep reintegration commitments, the marginalization of victims, and the community’s unwillingness towards the reintegration of returnees. Such processes undermine the credibility of states, foster distrust, and compromise security. Rather than promote dignity and trust, OSC reinforces the bias between ex-combatants and their victims, constraining human security of being free of fear and want. These findings underscore the fact that without state credibility and legitimacy, reintegration is not sustainable. The ideological fanaticism of Boko Haram and the ineffective governance systems that continue to exist in the Northeast of Nigeria complicate the specific situation in Nigeria, hindering its genuine reintegration. This study argues that the concept of reintegration needs to be reconsidered as a human-security initiative based on the principles of rights, justice, and trust-building. Therefore, building credibility on the part of the state and community involvement must come first before reconciliation can take place. |
| Keywords: | Boko Haram, operation safe corridor, reintegration, human security, social suspicion |