The Benue State Government is seeking federal approval to establish a Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) centre for repentant local bandits in the state.
The initiative aims to rehabilitate individuals, including abducted women, who were forced to act as foot soldiers for bandits.
The Director-General of the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Josephine Habba, disclosed the plan on Monday while speaking with journalists in Makurdi.
She said the state had formally requested the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, to approve the centre, which is expected to rehabilitate over 400 people willing to return to civilian life.
“These persons are not necessarily criminals but were taken in to do dirty jobs for those in the forest. Even pregnant women were abducted and turned into cooks,” Habba said.
She added that while biometric data indicated over 1,800 individuals affected, 400 have expressed willingness to undergo rehabilitation.
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Habba explained that the DDR programme is a military initiative certified and funded by the United Nations. Once approved, the facility will attract international attention, increase troop presence in the state, and provide structured reintegration for participants.
The rehabilitation programme is expected to run six months to a year and will include community resilience activities, livelihood restoration, compensation, and rebuilding of schools and hospitals.
The proposed centre is to be located in Logo Local Government Area, with costs projected in the millions of naira.
The commission, established in 2022 and operational since 2023, was created to address the frequent attacks on Benue communities and ensure long-term peace in the state.
Habba also revealed that a committee set up by the Chief of Defence Staff has inspected the proposed facility, and the government awaits their report before final approval.