The Benue State Government has moved to establish a Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) centre to rehabilitate repentant bandits, formally seeking the Federal Government’s approval for the initiative.
Director-General of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Josephine Habba, disclosed the plan on Monday in Makurdi, saying the programme targeted individuals forced or lured into banditry rather than those who orchestrated the violence.
Habba described many of those identified as “foot soldiers” used to carry out attacks for criminal leaders hiding in forests.
“Biometric profiling conducted by the commission has already captured more than 1,800 individuals, with about 400 indicating readiness to renounce violence and undergo rehabilitation.
“These persons are not necessarily criminals but were drawn in to do dirty jobs for those in the forest. Many were recruited because they could move freely without being recognised,” she said.
According to Habba, the state had developed a comprehensive framework for the DDR scheme, which would be unveiled at a peace summit scheduled for February 25, 2026.
Participants will undergo structured rehabilitation lasting between six months and one year, after which they will graduate and receive certificates.
She added that reintegration will go beyond counselling, focusing on rebuilding destroyed livelihoods and supporting communities ravaged by years of violence.
Habba disclosed that she, alongside Bishop Isaac Dugu of the Katsina-Ala Diocese, had consulted officials of the federal Safe Corridor programme and advised the state governor to formally engage the Chief of Defence Staff for clearance.
The military high command, she said, had signalled readiness to review the proposal.
“The Chief of Defence Staff has indicated that a committee will assess the proposed facility. If it meets the required standards, further steps will be taken,” Habba noted.
The proposed centre is part of Benue’s broader strategy to combine security operations with reconciliation efforts aimed at breaking cycles of recruitment into armed groups and restoring long-term peace in affected communities
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