Tuesday, February 24 2026 -The Benue State Government is seeking approval from the Federal Government to establish a Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration centre for repentant local bandits in the state.
The Director-General of the Commission for Peace and
Reconciliation, Josephine Habba, disclosed this on Monday while speaking to
journalists in Makurdi.
Habba explained that the initiative aimed to rehabilitate
individuals who, by circumstance, became foot soldiers for bandits.
The state has, therefore, formally requested the Chief of
Defence Staff, Gen Olufemi Oluyede, to approve the setting up of the DDR centre
specifically for bandits of Benue origin.
She said: “These persons are not necessarily criminals but
were taken in to do dirty jobs for those in the forest because they know that
if they (local bandits) come out, they would be recognised, so they needed foot
soldiers.
“Even pregnant women were abducted and turned into their
cooks. The number of people from the biometrics we have done is over 1,800, but
400 are willing to be rehabilitated.”
Habba noted that the DDR centre is a military programme,
certified and funded by the United Nations, adding that its establishment would
draw international attention to the state. She added that its
operationalisation would also increase the deployment of troops in Benue.
“My commission has worked out a plan which will be unveiled
at a peace summit on Wednesday, 25th February 2026, that captures everything
and ensures that these people graduate and are given certificates.
“The programme will run for six months to one year. While
they are there, the committee will engage in community resilience, identify
livelihoods that were destroyed, restore them, compensate where needed, and
ensure schools and hospitals are rebuilt for a seamless reintegration of these
people into their families,” she said.
Habba further explained: “The Bishop of Katsina-Ala Diocese,
Bishop Isaac Dugu and I went to the commander of the Safe Corridor.
“We also recommended to the governor to meet with the Chief
of Defence Staff and request this DDR centre. The CDS said he will set up a
committee to assess the facility that the governor has put in place. If it is
befitting, they will work on the committee’s recommendation.”
Habba said the proposed centre was expected to be located in
Logo Local Government Area, adding that the project would cost millions of
naira.
The commission was established in 2022 and became
operational in 2023 in response to repeated attacks on Benue communities. Habba
stressed that the DDR initiative was part of a broader effort to build
mechanisms to nip frequent conflicts in the bud.
Benue State, located in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, has long
been a flashpoint for farmer-herder clashes, with conflicts largely arising
from competition over land and water resources between predominantly farming
communities and nomadic herders. Over the years, these clashes have resulted in
loss of lives, destruction of farmlands, and mass displacement of residents.
In addition, the state also faced violent attacks by bandits
and criminal elements operating in remote areas.
These attacks often target villages, transport routes, and
local communities, leading to deaths, injuries, and abductions. Many of those
caught up in banditry, particularly young men, are coerced into serving as foot
soldiers, while women and children have sometimes been abducted and forced into
support roles.
The combination of communal clashes and banditry has
contributed to insecurity across the state, prompting the government to explore
initiatives such as the DDR programme to rehabilitate repentant bandits and
restore peace in affected communities.
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