Journeys through Extremism: The Experiences of Forced Recruits in Boko Haram

This case study provides exploratory research into the personal journeys of forced recruits into Boko Haram, to examine how they entered the organization, the conditions they experienced in camps and settlements, their exits from the group, their subsequent experiences in state hands, and their perspectives about future reintegration. These themes are particularly pertinent given the mass disengagements from Boko Haram in spring 2022, and the extent to which federal and state systems lack the capacity to absorb and handle the large numbers involved. Research was undertaken at Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), a program established in 2016 by the Nigerian state to provide an off-ramp for members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) deemed to be ‘low risk’ by military intelligence. Located at Mallam Sidi on the outskirts of Gombe, the OPSC program houses cohorts of around six hundred clients at any point in time. This report features the findings from thirteen in-depth interviews with participants in the OPSC program to provide important insights into the state-sponsored off-ramp from this group.