Deradicalisation as Religious Intervention: Assessing the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Former Boko Haram Members in Nigeria

As part of broader efforts to counter the activities of the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria, the government has adopted deradicalisation as a non-military strategy towards Boko Haram members and their associates. This intervention looks to deradicalise, rehabilitate, and reintegrate these members into mainstream society offering a potential clean slate. Yet, is such a new start for former Boko Haram members possible, given the exclusivist and radical nature of the group’s ideology and the ongoing conflict and tensions in the community they are supposed to be reintegrated? While there are several emerging studies on deradicalisation in Nigeria, there is a paucity of scholarly literature that interrogates how these interventions engage with, and impact on Boko Haram ideology among the beneficiaries. The thesis seeks to address this gap, which is important because it will provide a valuable insight into the effectiveness of the deradicalisation programmes and will significantly enhance the scholarly engagement with religious extremism and (de)radicalisation in Nigeria and beyond as a field of study. It will further provide knowledge for a more effective response to the Boko Haram crisis.

This qualitative study employs a case study methodology by selecting three deradicalisation programmes. Each case represents a distinct category of Boko Haram members and associates: the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) deradicalisation programme designed for members classified as high risk, the Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) for low risk, and the Yellow Ribbon Initiative (YRI) for the lowest risk (the CAAGs, Children Associated with Boko Haram). The study examines each of these programmes by analysing their aims, interventions, and outcomes. It uses a data triangulation approach which includes fieldwork interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and content analysis. The empirical findings suggest that the deradicalisation interventions have stimulated a paradigmatic shift among former Boko Haram members and associates regarding the group’s ideology, offering a glimpse of hope in addressing the conflict. The thesis contends that the programmes’ beneficiaries demonstrate an abandonment of the group’s ideology to some extent. However, there is a need for the programmes to strengthen their post-release and reintegration strategies to sustain their gains. The thesis identifies structural and implementation challenges in the programmes and argues that if these are not adequately addressed, they could hamper the deradicalisation process and further obstruct the peace process in Northeast Nigeria