WHY DO YOU CRY?
“Mu kam gara mu mutu a wannan wajen …”
My experience with the plight of returning Internally Displaced Persons (hence IDPs) in most communities of the northeast necessitated the desire for this write-up. As exclaimed above, the quotation was made by a widow and mother of three, in one of the camps who preferred to die there instead of a reunion to her former base. She envisaged the kind of alienation faced by community members during her first attempt. If IDPs will be so humiliated by families and communities that once wished for their safe return, what future lies in our abducted women, girls, and young boys who were forcibly recruited to serve as child soldiers? There is no doubt that such victims who are returning home after being held captive by boko haram now face rejection, prejudice and social stigma by their families and communities. While young girls who may return with “unwanted babies”, with no skills, over burdened by children born from their ordeal, will face even more rejection and abandonment.
I champion the course for dialogue and reintegration away from confrontational approach due to the suffering of our teeming population. And on the margins of my discussion, a call to action is hereby mounted in putting more efforts in developing understanding and engagement. So, it is better to actively engage community members, victims of violent extremism, and those who renounce violence out of their own volition. I equally urge the extremist fighters to disarm and lay down their arms for peace to reign.
A report from International Alert (2016) has revealed there are “many face marginalisation, discrimination and rejection by family and community members”. This suggests that it is very important for the government to have open and honest dialogue with victims and the recipient communities in order to prevent societal tension. Should the government fail to respond swiftly, many may be disillusioned and affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.
So, every aspect of dialogue and reintegration must take into consideration that victims who cannot be properly accommodated by the society or participate and influence decisions that affect them may again be predisposed to take up arms. Thus, #NotAnotherNigerian should be stigmatized. What is vital is for the government to plan an explicit deradicalization agenda for all victims to rid them of all traces of violet extremism and indoctrination. Hence, the need for effective psycho-social therapy and mentoring to counter the appeal of radical ideologies.
#CVE @NEIFFELLOWS
