Imprisoned former terrorists have a better chance of reintegrating into society if their rehabilitation efforts are considered sincere, according to a new survey of Nigerians. It also says that the severity of their crimes and the circumstances of their initial recruitment are important factors.
Amélie Godefroidt, a senior researcher at the Catholic Research University in Leuven, Belgium, reported initial results of the survey of 2,000 young Nigerians in an October 2025 article in The Conversation. Surveyors conducted the research in Nigeria, where the terrorist group Boko Haram has launched attacks for more than 20 years. As the group has weakened and thousands of fighters have surrendered, the Nigerian government used rehabilitation programs to reintegrate them into civilian society. Godefroidt reported that the initiatives “have achieved limited success so far, as many citizens remain wary and resistant to their return.”
Godefroidt’s report noted that reintegrating ex-fighters after appropriate punishment is a necessity, “because alternatives such as indefinite detention, capital punishment or abandonment are unsustainable and risk fueling future cycles of violence.” The survey results listed three patterns of the public’s perception of rehabilitating former terrorists:
Why they joined matters. People were more open to reintegrating fighters who were forcibly recruited or joined as children than those who joined voluntarily, especially for ideological reasons. “Young fighters had little guidance or knowledge of what trouble they were going into,” one respondent said.
What they do after leaving terrorist groups matters even more. Former fighters who left voluntarily and took part in reconciliation efforts, including working with authorities in the fight against terrorists, had strong public support.
Some crimes are harder to forgive. One participant said, “The only precondition is that they have never taken a life. No killer deserves to be free, let alone get amnesty.”
In northeastern Nigeria, some communities say that a growing number of former terrorists from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are returning to their homes without completing formal rehabilitation programs. The Pulitzer Center reports that terrorists in Nigeria who surrender typically go through Operation Safe Corridor, the country’s official rehabilitation process for terrorists who surrender. About 50,000 people have reportedly surrendered to authorities through the program.
Ahmad Salkida, founder of the Nigeria-based news agency HumAngle, said the reasons fighters leave terrorist groups vary significantly and are shaped by personal circumstances, survival strategies and organizational dynamics.
“For many, it is hunger and starvation as governments in the Lake Chad region continue to mount pressure and blockade of the region,” Salkida said. “For others, the constant leadership feuds and gaps between the Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters made their continued stay in the forest to fight a pointless exercise.”
Nigeria’s Borno State has become a leader in reintegrating former terrorists, with a program that has become known as the Borno Model. It begins with the use of dialogue to persuade fighters to surrender their weapons at designated amnesty centers and commit to a peaceful existence. Former fighters go through psychological and religious counseling, vocational training, and reorientation programs. Some are reintegrated into civilian communities, while others are transferred to federal authorities.
“This framework provides a structured pathway for former combatants and associates to transition from a life of violence and extremism to one of productivity and social acceptance,” the Pulitzer Center reported. In its 2025 budget, the Borno government allocated 7.46 billion Naira, or more than $5 million, for the reintegration of former terrorists, the Nigerian Foundation for Investigative Journalism reported.
A growing number of Nigerians are concerned that former Boko Haram members are bypassing official rehabilitation programs and directly reintegrating into local communities, HumAngle reported. Some residents, the news agency noted, said they had observed recidivism, resistance to authority and “sudden emotional outbursts” by reformed terrorists.
“We see them every day, joining us in the market and trying to blend in,” said one villager. “Some of us are scared. We don’t know if they are genuinely repentant. We need transparency. Who are these people, and why didn’t they go through the programme like others? The government must address this for our peace of mind.”
Ardo Musa, a herder who lost livestock in a Boko Haram attack in the Konduga community of Borno, said the reformation programs are doing a poor job of communicating. “The authorities must engage us, listen to our concerns, and involve us in the process,” he said.
The Nigerian survey said that rehabilitation programs can succeed only when clear conditions are established, reintegration is linked to reconciliatory behavior and citizens are kept informed of former terrorists’ progress. Reconciliation must be “made visible,” the survey said.
“The lesson is simple but often overlooked: Preparing societies for the return of ex-fighters is as important as preparing the fighters themselves,” wrote Godefroidt. “Without community buy-in, reintegration risks deepening divides instead of healing them.”