The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has advocated speedy re-orientation and re-integration of communities affected by insurgency in the North-East to avoid post-crisis distress.
The Director-General of the agency, Mr Garba Abari, made the appeal when he featured at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
According to him, normal life needs to return to liberated communities while de-radicalised suspects need to be reintegrated into the society.
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“The person, who gets radicalised became radicalised through a process and the same process has to be followed to de-radicalise that person.
“This is so that the narrative that made him a radicalised fellow can be changed to the correct narrative.
“The religious message or whatever has gone to his or her head to make him or her radicalised, has to be put into proper perspective.
“Opinions are changed, mindsets are changed and such people having been de-radicalised are gradually being reintegrated into the wider society.
“This is so that we can remove stigma, suspicion and create the enabling environment for them to be once again functional and useful citizens.’’
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He said the agency was partnering with security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that affected people lived normal lives.
“This is where traditional, religious and opinion leaders should step in.
“We have translated messages from English to Hausa, Fulfulde and Kanuri with view to getting the clergymen to talk to the people, because it is a continuous process.’’
Abari, therefore, urged government at all levels to empower the youth in affected communities to prevent them from being recruited by anti-social entities. (NAN)
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