Towards Counterterrorism: Defections as a Tool in the Fight Against Extremism

Adminstration in the Borno state of Nigeria started recording “droves” of defectors from two competing extremist groups in late 2021. The renegades were from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, also understood as ISWAP.

“Various stakeholders in Borno State arranged to accept and forgive the initial 3,900 repentant Boko Haram fighters who have renounced to troops,” the Nigerian newspaper Blueprint reported. A retired brigadier general, Abdullah Sabi Ishaq, expressed the defections were the result of the usefulness of the “Borno Model,” which begins with “the use of dialogue” to convince Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters “to lay down their arms to troops at the different reception centres and embrace peace.” Officials say the model depends heavily on rehabilitation, reconciliation and reintegration techniques.

Officials in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin are utilising additional techniques to promote defections, including undermining terrorism supporters and providing improved protection to victims. ISWAP dates to 2002 when Muhammed Yusuf founded Boko Haram, an Islamic movement in northeastern Nigeria. Tomás F. Husted, an analyst of African affairs, states that in recent years, ISWAP, an IS-affiliated offshoot, “has demonstrated itself as the stronger faction and one of the most dynamic IS affiliates globally.” The conflict in the Lake Chad Basin has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and “fueled an extensive humanitarian crisis,” according to Husted.

These days, ISWAP is fighting a rival extremist party, Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, or JAS, as much as it is battling government forces. The International Crisis Group reported in March that ex-members of both factions have lost more personnel battling with each other since 2021 than in confrontations with state militaries.

Although getting soldiers to defect is a critical tool in eradicating violent extremism, a 2020 study issued by the Frontiers in Psychology journal noted that “There is a consensus that eliminating violent extremism requires a long-term investment in structural, complex, multilayered interventions from education to social and economic development.” The study reported that short-term strategies are also needed, to oblige in preventing or countering violent extremism “in more immediate timespans.” Those strategies include utilising counternarratives that challenge the propaganda of extremist groups.

The counternarratives can concentrate on the atrocities committed by such groups, and emphasize the actual teachings of Islam, which promotes peace and compassion. The best deliverers of such messages include local religious authorities and former extremists; both groups are widely viewed as credible. Experts say, however, that such counternarratives must satisfy “rigorous standards” in terms of accuracy and evidence. The 2020 journal study reported that inaccurate counternarratives have a risk of “backfiring and accelerating further radicalization.”

Defecting from an extremist group is always difficult; defections from ISWAP are especially so. The Institute for Security Studies has conveyed that when ISWAP fighters defect to “the government side,” there is almost no going back to ISWAP “because they risk execution on accusations of espionage.”

“Government approaches must persist to encourage defection,” the institute reported. “But they should also go beyond relying on disgruntled commanders and fighters. Strategies are required that tackle the group on various fronts, including disrupting its financing, barring routes used for recruitment and movement, and having a clear, practical strategy that those who desert ISWAP can support.”

The humanitarian information portal ReliefWeb states that during this critical time in the Lake Chad Basin, authorities should “improve and expand programs for sustaining defectors.” But the group said regional authorities and outside associates should continue to take steps to help civilians as well: “They should expand rather than phase out humanitarian contribution, while also developing better-targeting protocols to bypass civilian casualties in airstrikes.”

Share this page:

Related content

Tactics Institute Warns of North Korean Military Deployment in Russia

Tactics Institute Warns of North Korean Military Deployment in Russia

The Tactics Institute for Security and Counter-Terrorism raises urgent concerns over North Korea’s recent deployment of some 10,000 troops to Russia. This move could escalate the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.…
Nigeria Achieve Remarkable Progress in Countering Terrorism

Nigeria Achieve Remarkable Progress in Countering Terrorism

The armed forces of Nigeria have made admirable improvements in the fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other states of violent crimes across the land. This was stated by the…
Burkina Faso Boosts Counterterrorism Efforts with Advanced Drones

Burkina Faso Boosts Counterterrorism Efforts with Advanced Drones

Burkina Faso has taken an important step towards improving its security, fight against terrorism and technological capabilities with the inauguration of a fresh drone pilot training centre. This pioneering establishment…