Borno State poured ₦4.3 billion into supporting repentant Boko Haram members in 2025 while channeling only ₦2.7 billion to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, sparking fierce criticism.
Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration directed the funds through the Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) program, which offers stipends, vocational training, and housing to over 300,000 former insurgents and their families.
Officials argue the initiative fosters peace by encouraging defections and preventing re-recruitment in a region scarred by 15 years of violence.
Zulum himself emphasized the need for non-kinetic strategies alongside military efforts, warning of Boko Haram regrouping in areas like Lake Chad.
However, budget documents reveal stark disparities.
The state spent ₦2.6 billion on DDR livelihoods in the first nine months alone, with an additional ₦758.1 million disbursed from July to September.
By year’s end, expenditures climbed to ₦4.3 billion, surpassing the hospital’s allocation despite ongoing healthcare crises in the northeast.
Meanwhile, the Primary Healthcare Development Board utilized just ₦2.076 billion of its ₦8.7 billion budget, and the Hospitals Management Board spent only ₦1.2 billion against ₦10.5 billion earmarked.
Critics blast the priorities as misguided. Activist Omoyele Sowore highlighted the ₦7.46 billion budgeted for DDR, ranking it as Borno’s seventh-most expensive capital project—trailing only flood control and outpacing ministries like environment and justice.
“Who is Nigeria really working for?” Sowore questioned on X, pointing to neglected retirees and soldiers.
Additionally, frontline troops in Borno and Yobe report security risks, claiming some “repentants” leak military intelligence—such as troop routines and weapon locations—to active militants, heightening vulnerabilities.
Public reactions amplify the discontent. On X, users lambasted the spending as rewarding terrorism amid persistent attacks.
One commenter quipped, “Terrorism is lucrative,” while another lamented, “I must have been a very bad person in my previous life… to be sent to this country as punishment.”
Victims’ advocates echo these sentiments, noting communities resist reintegration due to trauma and distrust, as detailed in a recent study on affected areas in Borno, Adamawa, and Plateau states.
Nevertheless, supporters praise broader budget gains.
Civil society organizations commended Zulum’s 2025 implementation for advances in security, education, and resettlement, with the governor proposing an ₦890 billion 2026 budget to build on these efforts.
He also boosted allowances for Civilian Joint Task Force members to ₦50,000 monthly, aiming to strengthen local defenses against insurgency.
Yet, the controversy underscores deeper frustrations.
Over 18 months, Borno expended more than ₦6 billion on DDR, even as violence displaces millions and strains resources.
A UN report warns of re-recruitment linked to disillusionment, urging better oversight.
As attacks continue, residents demand accountability, questioning if peace-building truly serves victims or perpetuates cycles of inequality.
