By Francis Okoye, Maiduguri
The Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development (ALFOPED) has mobilised women-led groups for peacebuilding advocacy and engagement with communities in Borno State towards reconciliation and reintegration of victims and survivors of Boko Haram insurgency.
The survivors and victims of insurgency comprised the returnees who were formerly associated with the terrorists, but have renounced terrorism ,as well as the victims who were in one way or the other affected by act of terrorism in the State.
The mobilisation programme held in Maiduguri titled ” She Builds 2026 Peace Campaign” , is in commemoration of the International Day of Peace 2026 with the theme ” Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” .
The event brought together women peacebuilders, survivors of insurgency, traditional and religious leaders, and media representatives to strengthen community resilience and promote transitional justice.
Speaking, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin, said the initiative was aimed at amplifying women’s voices in peace processes and ensuring that women affected by the insurgency are at the forefront of reconciliation and reintegration efforts.
According to her, sustainable peace cannot be achieved without justice, forgiveness and community acceptance of returnees, stressing that women play a critical role as caregivers, mediators and agents of peace.
She noted that there are about 42,000 registered members of women peacebuilders in the Foundation who are taking the peacebuilding advocacy to various communities across the State, with 9000 of them comprising mothers and wives whose sons and husbands are victims of enforced disappearance, through military detention at various locations in Borno State since 2011.
Hajiya Hamsatu said of recent , one of the victims who disappeared about 13 years ago was found out to be among those in military facility in Kainji, Niger State, adding that others who disappeared were taken to ” Safe Corridor” , a deradicalisation centre , through the Foundation’s intensive advocacy, follow-ups among others.
” Not everyone who disappeared have died, many are still living. That is why the women have made appeal to the military and government for accountability and information to know about their loved ones, whether they are dead or alive, as well as their whereabouts,” the Executive Director said.
Comrade Hajjagana Suleiman, the Leader of ” Jire Dole Network” , one of the registered women group of Allamin Foundation, comprising mothers and wives whose sons and husbands have disappeared since the insurgency, said her son , Mustapha Abdulkarim ( Saina ) has been in military detention since 2011.
Hajjagana said the son was taken away by soldiers who claimed they would interrogate him and released him, but have not been seen since 2011 , untill recently when those who returned from Kainji said they saw him there.
” We want government and military to release our children in detention. 15 years is not 15 weeks or 15 days. We are tired of waiting for them. They are our breadwinners. Now , Iam battling to cater for myself and my son’s children. We are about 9000 that our sons and husbands have been detained since 2011,” she said.
Hajjagana decried that repentant terrorists are being taken care of as they return, while their sons and husbands who she said are innocent remained in detention.
She added that the various women groups in Allamin Foundation are taking messages of peace to the communities in the State so that for associates of Boko Haram and victims can live in harmony.
The Chairman Christian Association of Nigerian ( CAN ) , Most .Rev .Dr John Bogna Bakeni commended Allamin Foundation for using women who he said are at forefront of peacemaking as peacebuilding advocates.
Bakeni who was represented by Pastor Martins Alakija said CAN has been partnering Allamin Foundation for sustenance of peace in Borno State.
