A Study of Rehabilitation Program and Risk of Recidivism Among Non-State Armed Groups in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Armed conflicts in Northern Nigeria, driven primarily by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), have created a persistent humanitarian and security crisis. Since 2009, the insurgency has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, with youth disproportionately represented among combatants. In response, the Nigerian government launched rehabilitation initiatives such as Operation Safe Corridor (OSC), designed to de-radicalize, provide vocational training, and reintegrate ex-combatants into civilian life. Despite these efforts, the risk of recidivism, relapsing into violent extremism, remains high, raising concerns about the sustainability of current Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) strategies.
This research critically examined the effectiveness of Nigeria’s rehabilitation programmes in reducing recidivism among youth ex-combatants. Anchored in Social Identity Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior, it investigated how identity reconstruction, behavioral intentions, and socio-economic conditions shape reintegration outcomes. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys of three hundred (300) ex-combatants with qualitative interviews involving, returnees, community leaders, program officials, and security stakeholders. Data were analyzed using descriptive, alongside thematic framework. Findings reveal that vocational training, psychosocial counselling, and religious re-orientation represent the most effective components of rehabilitation, fostering identity transformation and offering pathways to legitimate livelihoods. However, significant barriers persist.
Stigmatization by host communities, inadequate post-rehabilitation support, weak institutional coordination, and inconsistent funding undermine reintegration outcomes. Many ex-combatants expressed distrust of state institutions, while economic deprivation and community rejection emerged as key predictors of relapse. The results suggest that while rehabilitation programmes have potential, their sustainability is fragile without broader structural and social reforms. The research concludes that effective reintegration requires a holistic, youth-centered approach that extends beyond skills acquisition to include long-term psychosocial support, community sensitization, and institutional trust-building and market-driven opportunities.

Keywords: Rehabilitation programme, recidivism, youth ex-combatants, non-state armed groups, Boko Haram, islamic state west africa province (ISWAP), disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)