Nearly 10,000 former Boko Haram fighters have been reintegrated into Nigerian society through a government-led deradicalization and reintegration program aimed at encouraging defections from insurgent groups.

The milestone was marked as 720 ex-combatants graduated from a reintegration center in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, during a ceremony attended by state officials.

Authorities in Borno confirmed this latest group brings the total number of former insurgents reintegrated into their communities to 9,680.

This initiative is part of a broader government strategy to weaken jihadist groups operating around Lake Chad by promoting surrenders and civilian reintegration.

Images from the ceremony showed hundreds of former fighters gathered at the reintegration center, where participants took oaths before being officially released from the program.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began over a decade ago in Nigeria’s northeast, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighboring countries. While military operations have significantly reduced the group’s capabilities, armed factions continue to carry out attacks in some areas.

Borno State authorities emphasize that rehabilitation and reintegration programs remain vital to ending the conflict and fostering long-term stability in affected communities.