Benue Seeks FG Approval for Rehabilitation Centre for Repentant Bandits

Benue State is seeking Federal Government approval to establish a Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR) centre for repentant local bandits.

Josephine Habba, Director-General of the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, said the centre would rehabilitate over 400 individuals, including women who were coerced into supporting bandits. “These individuals are not necessarily criminals but were used as foot soldiers or support personnel, including pregnant women forced to serve as cooks,” she said.

The programme, funded and certified by the United Nations, will run six months to a year and includes community resilience initiatives, livelihood restoration, and rebuilding schools and hospitals. The proposed facility will be in Logo Local Government Area and is expected to attract international attention and additional troop deployment to the state.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has set up a committee to evaluate the facility. A detailed plan will be presented at a peace summit on February 25, 2026.