By Abdulkareem Haruna

Malam Abubakar Suleiman, General Manager of the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), has praised the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development for its efforts in promoting peace, particularly in assisting women associated with Boko Haram and other non-state actors to become deradicalized.

During a courtesy and advocacy visit, Suleiman hosted the management and strategic partners of the Allamin Foundation, who requested that BOSEPA provide menial jobs for women who have demonstrated significant repentance and have turned their lives around.

Led by Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, the Foundation’s Chief Executive, the organization has gained recognition for its work in transitional justice and deradicalization initiatives. 

Hajiya Allamin emphasized the importance of reintegrating individuals who once associated with non-state actors but have since repented, allowing them to live normal lives within their communities.

Since its establishment in 2017, the Allamin Foundation has helped over 4,300 women linked to non-state actors (including ISWAP and Boko Haram) reintegrate into society as advocates for peace and repentance. The Foundation has also registered more than 900 “invisible children”—children born during conflicts without clear parental ties.

“We have registered about 27,000 individuals who have emerged from the bush and embraced the government’s amnesty initiative through our direct work with these repentant women,” Allamin stated.

Despite the government’s commendable initiative to offer amnesty, Allamin expressed concern that many women are not properly screened to assess their involvement with terrorist groups, often being treated as mere victims. “The women who are released are simply allowed to leave without adequate screening or deradicalization,” she noted.

Among the more than 4,300 women assisted, only about 100 have undergone effective deradicalization and reintegration, with approximately 40 being children. These women have become advocates for peace, helping to persuade others to surrender and return home, where they can enroll in government amnesty programs.

However, despite their roles as peace advocates, these women often face stigma and lack economic opportunities. The Allamin Foundation is seeking BOSEPA’s support to employ some of these women as casual workers.

Allamin also called for BOSEPA’s assistance in job creation and elevating women’s voices within government to improve acceptance of these women as genuine repentants.

BOSEMA GM, Suleiman commended the Allamin Foundation and its leadership, noting that Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin was a pioneer in advocating for reintegration and transitional justice. After hearing testimonies from some repentant women present during the visit, such as Fatima Musa, he expressed confidence in their sincerity and pledged to advocate for them in government circles, beyond merely providing jobs.

“For now, we are going to give ten slots of jobs to the women as street cleaners

The visit’s highlight was listening to the heartfelt narratives from the repentant women, who sought forgiveness and explained that their past actions, as associates or spouses of non-state armed group members, were driven by ignorance of their leaders’ true motives.