Residents of Konduga in Borno State say surrendered insurgents working with the military in counterinsurgency operations think they are better than everyone else. 

Penitent insurgents – who are working with security operatives to combat the insurgency – are “rude, arrogant and reckless”.

So say residents and community leaders in the Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast – and they are fed up with putting up with surrendered insurgents’ bad behaviour.

“They think they are better than everyone else. The have a dismissive attitude and behave as if they are superior even to other security personnel,” said Gambomi Musa Ahmed, a resident of Konduga.

“We know that these repentant insurgents provide valuable insight and are helping the military and other security operatives to root out active insurgents but it is their bad behaviour that is causing tensions to rise. They are rude and arrogant.”

Ahmed said they were upsetting the community because they did not listen to anyone and “think they have more authority than anyone else in the town – even the military”.

“People have been patient with them but, if they continue to bully residents, I fear some members of the public will start taking matters into their own hands.”

Bulama Kolo, a community leader, claimed the repentant insurgents were reckless.

“Recently, one of these repentant insurgents who was riding a motorcycle hit a young girl. He did not even bother to stop, let alone sympathise with the girl and her mother. He should have taken her to hospital. Instead, he simply rode off.

“The girl comes from a poor family. Every day is a struggle to survive. How can her family afford the hospital bills?

“The penitent insurgents speed recklessly through the town and no one dares to confront them. Even our local leaders, whom we rely on for guidance, seem unable to hold them accountable. If the leaders can’t do anything, what can ordinary citizens do?

“This accident involving the young girl is not the first such incident. We do not know what to do. It is not that we do not want to act. We are afraid to get involved because these penitent insurgents carry weapons. It is the people in authority who should direct them to behave honourably.”

Grema Kachalla Kyari, a security analyst and founder of the Elkanemi Peace and Development Centre, said the inclusion of former combatants in counterinsurgency operations was proving to be a good move by the military because the repentant insurgents were helping to trace and locate active insurgents in the bush.

“They have inside information which is useful for the military; they know where the hideouts are and can direct security personnel to the hidden enclaves.”

However, he said the repentant insurgents’ attitude and behaviour were “worrying”.

“Civilians are right to raise their concerns about this. It is something that needs to be addressed. If not, it could negatively affect peaceful coexistence.

“One of the problems is that these men do not undergo professional training. And, because they are allowed to carry weapons, they regard themselves as community soldiers. But this does not give them the right to exhibit rude behaviour.”

Kyari suggested that the peace, reconciliation and monitoring committees –set up in conflict-affected communities in six local government areas across Borno State – might be best suited to resolve issues between repentant insurgents and residents.

“The role of these committees is to foster peace and reconciliation. I am confident that the committees will address these concerns. If they do not, I want to use this opportunity to call on them to prioritise this matter urgently.”

Kyari described the situation as a “typical post-insurgency challenge” and warned that if the necessary measures were not taken, it could lead to a resurgence of misunderstandings and conflicts among individuals.

“This could ultimately return the region to the insecurity it has worked hard to overcome. I urge community members, including traditional rulers, to actively collaborate with the government by presenting suggestions and reporting concerns to relevant agencies.”

He encouraged community leaders and traditional rulers to make us of media channels, such as Radio Ndarason Internationale, to get the message out and to work together to find solutions.

RUKAIYA AHMED ALIBE