Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has acknowledged that while most repentant Boko Haram terrorists have successfully reintegrated into society, he cannot guarantee that all have abandoned their terrorist activities.

Speaking during an interview on News Central Television's Breakfast Show, Zulum revealed that some former terrorists who surrendered might still be serving as informants or could potentially return to insurgency.

"I can't completely say that hundred percent of those who surrendered are doing the right thing. And I want to assure you that 90 percent of them are doing well and are not participating in the ongoing terrorism," the governor stated.

Zulum emphasized that out of the approximately 300,000 former terrorists who have renounced violence, a small percentage might revert to their previous activities. "Yes, I believe that among the 300,000 or more that have repented, I cannot rule out the possibility of few of them going back to the bush," he admitted.

The Borno State governor advocated for a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism that goes beyond military operations. "Let me tell you, insurgency can never be ended by kinetic measures alone. We must ensure that proper non-kinetic measures are adequately put in place," he explained.

According to Zulum, these non-kinetic measures include addressing the socio-economic and political dimensions of the crisis. He claimed that such approaches implemented in Borno State have "yielded positive results, with the support of the Nigerian military."

The governor's comments come amid ongoing security challenges in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram and its factions have waged an insurgency for over a decade, resulting in thousands of deaths and millions of displaced persons.

The Nigerian government's Operation Safe Corridor program, designed to deradicalize and reintegrate repentant terrorists, has been met with mixed reactions from security experts and communities affected by the insurgency.