Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Carmen Diego
The Benue State Government has provided comprehensive details of a proposed initiative to rehabilitate a group of approximately 400 local bandits and support personnel, disclosing that among those identified for reintegration are pregnant women who were abducted and coerced into serving as cooks for criminal gangs operating in the state’s rural areas. The disclosure was made as part of a broader strategy to reduce insecurity and restore stability in parts of Benue afflicted by prolonged violence and banditry.
Officials say the move is part of a formal request to the federal government for approval to set up a Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) centre specifically for individuals of Benue origin who were involved in or linked to local banditry. The appeal was directed to the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, and, if approved, would see the establishment of the facility in Logo Local Government Area of the state.
Josephine Habba, Director-General of the Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, told journalists in Makurdi that biometric profiling conducted as part of preliminary research had identified more than 1,800 people linked to bandit groups and criminal networks. Of those, approximately 400 individuals have expressed a genuine willingness to surrender, lay down arms and participate in structured rehabilitation programmes.
Habba emphasised that many of the identified persons are not hardened criminals in the traditional sense, but rather individuals who were forcibly recruited, abducted or manipulated into serving support roles within bandit camps. These roles included being foot soldiers, aides, cooks or carrying out other tasks for criminal leaders as a way of avoiding detection. She specifically cited cases where pregnant women were abducted and compelled to work as cooks for these groups deep in forests and remote areas.
The proposed DDR centre is envisioned as part of a six-month to one-year programme designed to provide a range of services aimed at reintegration. These would include disarmament, psychosocial support, vocational training, livelihood restoration and community resilience building. Participants are expected to complete the programme and receive certificates upon graduation, signalling their readiness to rejoin civilian life. The plan also includes efforts to revive destroyed livelihoods, rebuild schools and hospitals, and provide broader support to affected communities.
Habba explained that the initiative seeks not only to rehabilitate individuals willing to renounce violence, but also to break down cycles of recruitment and reduce future insecurity. She noted that some bandits deliberately recruit foot soldiers who are residents of local communities precisely because they can move without attracting attention. The government’s approach is therefore framed as both a security and social intervention, aiming to address root causes and mitigate future criminality.
The DDR centre project reportedly has United Nations certification and potential international support, reflecting interest from global partners in supporting reintegration and peacebuilding in conflict-affected regions. Habba indicated that the centre’s approval and establishment could also lead to an increased military presence to support ongoing security operations in Benue.
Authorities stress that the initiative is focused on local bandit recruits and coerced individuals, not external terrorists such as Boko Haram members, and that it is unfair to portray the rehabilitation effort as amnesty for hardened criminals. Government spokespeople have rejected such mischaracterisations, framing the programme as tailored to those who can be reintegrated safely and productively into society.
The initiative was scheduled to be outlined more fully at a peace summit convened on February 25, 2026, where stakeholders including traditional leaders, peace advocates and security experts were expected to engage on strategies to stabilise affected areas and support survivors of bandit violence.
Benue State has endured sustained insecurity, including farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, and attacks on communities, which have displaced residents and damaged infrastructure. The government’s rehabilitation proposal represents a departure from purely kinetic responses, emphasising community healing, economic renewal and reintegration as components of a holistic peace strategy.
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