By: Babagana Bukar Wakil, Maiduguri
The Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, a prominent non-governmental organisation working in conflict-affected northeast Nigeria, has successfully deradicalised 20 former Boko Haram child recruits in Borno State.
The Executive Secretary of the foundation, Hamsatu Allamin, made this known during a knowledge-sharing event held in Maiduguri. The programme was designed to counter extremist ideologies and aid the reintegration of affected youths into mainstream society.
According to Allamin, the initiative addressed a critical issue — the unintentional transfer of extremist beliefs from some radicalised women to their children. Through structured engagement, these young minds were redirected toward peace, empathy, and critical thinking.
The UK-aid supported programme delivered holistic deradicalisation activities, including tailored Islamic education, psychological counseling, and the promotion of positive social values. Allamin said these components are vital to restoring hope and trust in the participants and preventing re-radicalisation.
Sheikh Ali Mustapha, a consultant who led the process, revealed that the programme also involved prominent former Boko Haram leaders and Islamic scholars. They participated in the process and formally renounced their extremist views, embracing a more balanced understanding of Islamic teachings.
Mustapha explained that the programme challenged the group’s misinterpretation of Quranic texts and Hadiths — key religious sources that were historically manipulated to justify violence. “The leaders admitted their errors and accepted that killing innocent people is fundamentally against Islam,” he said.
The ex-militant leaders pledged to use their voices to promote peace and reconciliation, a significant step towards community healing and the prevention of future radicalisation. Their transformation is seen as a breakthrough in counter-extremism work in the region.
In addition to ideological reorientation, the Allamin Foundation also provides vocational training and financial stipends to vulnerable youths and repentant fighters, addressing the economic despair that has driven many to extremism.
Lawan Balami, another consultant with the foundation, highlighted the community engagement component of the initiative. He said the foundation regularly facilitates dialogues between returnees and local communities to rebuild broken trust and nurture forgiveness.
“These engagements are aimed at ensuring sustainable peace. We focus on truth-telling, advocacy, and trauma healing so that former fighters can be fully accepted and reintegrated,” Balami explained.
One of the beneficiaries, Sadiq Ibn Sinin, shared a testimony of personal transformation. “When we returned from Sambisa forest, people didn’t want anything to do with us. They hated us. But now, through this programme, we’ve changed. Some of us have even enrolled our children in school,” he said.
Beyond deradicalisation, the Allamin Foundation has initiated several peacebuilding projects across Borno. These include the establishment of community peace clubs, training of youth ambassadors against violent extremism, and advocacy for inclusive governance that reflects the needs of survivors and returnees.
In hard-hit communities such as Konduga, Dikwa, and Gwoza, the foundation has worked with traditional rulers and women leaders to facilitate reconciliation ceremonies where ex-fighters publicly apologise and communities symbolically forgive them — a key step in reintegration.
The foundation has also championed the rights of women and girls affected by the insurgency, providing legal aid, safe spaces, and psychosocial support to widows and survivors of sexual violence who often face stigma and exclusion.
Through its media and documentation units, Allamin has helped amplify the voices of victims and survivors, shifting narratives from condemnation to understanding, and advocating for justice and rehabilitation rather than revenge.
In partnership with religious institutions, the foundation is supporting sermons and Islamic classes that promote tolerance, peace, and the true essence of Islam — an effort that has reached thousands across Borno’s urban and rural areas.
By combining deradicalisation with socioeconomic empowerment, advocacy, education, and community healing, the Allamin Foundation is redefining peacebuilding in Borno, proving that with the right tools and trust, transformation and reconciliation are possible — even in the aftermath of one of Africa’s deadliest insurgencies.
As calls grow for government support, stakeholders believe that scaling the foundation’s model could further accelerate the recovery of conflict-ridden communities in the Lake Chad region.
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