Improving victims’ receptiveness of the reintegration of former Boko Haram members in Nigeria: a mixed method intervention study

Abstract Reintegrating deradicalised former Boko Haram terrorist members into society poses significant challenges due to its adverse humanitarian impact on affected victims. Yet, a gap remains in examining the feasibility of trauma-informed cognitive behavioural therapy to aid terrorism victims’ acceptance of the reintegration of former Boko Haram members. Informed by an experimental design, 24 affected participants were recruited from Borno state, Nigeria. They underwent an 8-session intervention covering problem and trauma management, including living, and working with complex groups. The study found that the intervention was feasible and highly acceptable. It also found that the TiCBT appears promising in improving participants’ receptiveness towards reintegration. Whilst caution is encouraged to be taken due to the small sample size, the study recommends a fully powered cluster randomised control trial to test the effectiveness of the TiCBT intervention in improving attitude towards reintegration. The insight gained is useful for policymakers and the international communities in advancing the understanding of mechanisms for improving reintegration in post-conflict settings.