MAIDUGURI- The President of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), Mrs Mariya Lagbaja, has advised repentant Boko Haram militants not to allow their past to define them, but strive to be useful and responsible citizens.
Mrs Lgbaja gave the advice when she visited Bulumkutu Boko Haram Rehabilitation camp, on Tuesday in Maiduguri.
“I want you all to understand that rehabilitation is not the end of a journey but the beginning of a new chapter.
”As you embrace the opportunities provided by the Nigerian Army and the Borno Government at this camp, please always remember that you are not defined by your past but empowered by your future.
”The journey may be challenging, but it is filled with potential growth and the promise of a brighter tomorrow,” she said.
The NAOWA president hailed the ex-insurgents for taking the right step to distance themselves from their previous lives by embracing peace and a bright future full of hope and aspirations.
She commended the staff of the rehabilitation camp for their dedication and resilience, saying they have been instrumental to the success of the programme.
Mrs Lagbaja also commended Gov. Umar Zulum for setting up the programme, saying it had massively enhanced the efforts of the military in restoring peace to the Northeast.
She said that NAOWA would provide a helping hand so as to contribute to the shaping of the future where resilience triumphs over adversity, and potentials and community strength nurtured for inclusive society.
In her remarks, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, Borno Commissioner Women Affairs, said the Bulumkutu rehabilitation camp provides mental and psycho-social support, as well as skills to the inmates.
She explained that the camp also offers counselling services to unaccompanied children who had gone through traumatic experiences, and is helping to trace their families.
The commissioner said the inmates receive training in tailoring, shoe and pomade making, scent production, among others.
“This is not the only camp, we have one in Hajj camp and another in Shakori. This was part of the deliberate initiative of the Borno State Government so that when total peace finally returned to the state, nobody would be left unattended,” she said.
Gambo thanked the military for their contributions to the total restoration of peace in the state and the Northeast.(NAN)
