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A Guardian Nigeria editorial questions Nigeria’s policy of reintegrating ex-terrorists without trial. It argues this practice ignores victims’ trauma and weakens the rule of law - a reflection worth examining more deeply across our fractured security landscape.

KEY POINTS:
  • Reintegration programmes continue despite ongoing violence, raising doubts about their effectiveness and long-term goals.
  • Victims receive no justice as ex-fighters are reabsorbed into society, often unpunished and unacknowledged.
  • Labelling militants as "low-risk" without public transparency risks eroding public trust and stoking resentment.
What does it mean for a village to welcome back someone once accused of burning it? For victims of abduction, bombings, and loss, these policies can feel like betrayal. The editorial speaks to this deep societal wound and the following silence.

If justice and healing are to coexist, what role should truth, trial, or community voice play? Can Nigeria build peace without first naming harm?

Reference:
  • Adapted from “Enough of the folly of reintegrating terrorists with victims” — Guardian Nigeria Editorial. - (Read the original)