I Regret Tearing My NCE Certificate – Repentant Female Boko Haram

Fatima Musa, a repentant female Boko Haram member who underwent deradicalisation and was relocated in Borno’s Mafa Local Government Area, has expressed regret for shredding her National Certificate in Education (NCE).

Musa made this known in Maiduguri on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, during a community dialogue on understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence organized for Mafa repentants and community leaders.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the debate was organized by the Allamin Foundation, a community-based NGO, with funding from the British government through UKaid.

Musa, who was deradicalized among other remorseful women by the foundation, stated that many of them joined the insurgency at an early age after being deceived.

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

”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

“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,” she said.

Another deradicalized woman, Bintu, spoke during the dialogue as well. She asked for the Mafa people’s forgiveness and assistance so that the foundation could reach out to more men and women in the bush.

Bintu said that there have been a few instances of repentant people going back to the bush, and that these people had stigmatized and harassed them, telling them that despite their repentance, they were destined for hellfire fire.

“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,” Bintu said.

Some Mafa residents who spoke at the meeting requested the government to do more in the deradicalization and resettlement process, including greater empowerment support for victims and those who repented in accordance with transitional justice.

Babagana Butu, the leader of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Mafa, said that some of the repentant insurgents are now among its members.

”We patrol the area together. We provided them with farmlands to cultivate like everyone as part of the reintegration process,” Butu said.

“We want the government to also remember them in its empowerment programmes to enable them to sustain themselves and their families as well as contribute positively to the society.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli