Borno State has spent over N3.4 billion on “Livelihood Support” for repentant Boko Haram members between January and September 2024, and budgeted N7.4 billion for the same purpose in 2025, according to state budget documents.
Borno State has spent over N3.4 billion on “Livelihood Support” for repentant Boko Haram members between January and September 2024, and budgeted N7.4 billion for the same purpose in 2025, according to state budget documents. These funds, intended for the “disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration” of former terrorists, overshadow allocations for education, healthcare, water, and road infrastructure. Despite these expenditures, Boko Haram continues its deadly attacks. In April, Governor Babagana Zulum warned of Boko Haram’s resurgence in the Lake Chad and Mandara Hills regions, calling for more military manpower and air support. “Borno State has, within the last three years, received more than 300,000 repentant Boko Haram fighters,” he said. Zulum also emphasized the international backing of ISWAP and Boko Haram, warning that “if the Sahel is not secured, Nigeria will never be secured.” He criticized the daily attacks and kidnappings, stating they show that “Borno State is losing ground.”