By Amos Aar
When the Benue State Government announced plans to establish a Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Centre in Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area, the proposal immediately stirred debate across the state.
Some residents felt the announcement came at a sensitive time as thousands of victims of armed attacks remain in overcrowded Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
The controversy deepened until the Director-General of the Benue State Peace and Reconciliation Commission, Josephine Habba, addressed journalists at Government House, Makurdi, on February 23, 2026.
In reports published by Vanguard and Premium Times, Habba insisted that the initiative had been misconstrued and was not designed to rehabilitate hardened terrorists.
According to her, the proposed centre is intended for youths in the Sankera axis, Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo, who were allegedly abducted and forced into criminal networks.
She disclosed that profiling conducted in collaboration with security agencies and traditional rulers identified over 1,800 affected persons, with more than 1,170 reportedly having no prior criminal records before their alleged forced recruitment.
Habba further stated that more than 400 of those profiled had indicated willingness to renounce criminality and return to farming, adding that the programme would provide psychosocial support, vocational training and monitored reintegration.
“This is not for Boko Haram fighters or external militants,” Habba was quoted as saying. “It is for our children who were taken into the creeks.” She described claims that the facility would house terrorists as “mischievous misrepresentations.”
Despite the clarification, public scepticism has persisted. On Sunrise Daily, a programme aired on Channels Television, security analyst Kabiru Adamu observed that DDR programmes can only succeed where there are credible screening mechanisms and strong community acceptance. He warned that without transparency in the vetting process, reintegration efforts could face resistance from host communities.
Similarly, commentary published by The Cable emphasised that post-conflict rehabilitation initiatives must be carefully sequenced alongside justice for victims to avoid perceptions of imbalance.
Analysts interviewed by the platform argued that reintegration without parallel support for affected communities could raise mistrust.
On social media, reactions have been mixed. On X (formerly Twitter), several Benue-based commentators questioned how authorities intend to conclusively determine who was forcibly recruited and who may have joined criminal groups voluntarily.
Some users called for legislative oversight of the profiling process, while others stressed that any rehabilitation programme must be matched by accelerated reconstruction of destroyed homes, schools and health facilities.
The debate echoes loudly within IDP communities around Makurdi. In previous public protests reported by Punch, displaced persons accused authorities of neglecting urgent humanitarian needs. Though those protests were unrelated to the DDR proposal, they reflect a broader frustration among victims who feel that recovery efforts have been slow and uneven.
At the federal level, however, officials have expressed support for structured peacebuilding initiatives in Benue. During a recent engagement covered by The Nation, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, underscored the importance of long-term solutions that combine security, economic opportunity and reconciliation. He noted that sustained peace is essential to restoring Benue’s agricultural productivity and social stability.
Against this backdrop, the central question remains whether the state government’s clarification has sufficiently addressed public concerns.
While officials maintain that the DDR centre targets only allegedly coerced local youths and excludes extremist elements, doubts linger regarding verification procedures, funding priorities and community acceptance.
As the administration of Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia advances its broader peace and recovery framework, the durability of the DDR proposal may ultimately depend not only on its stated objectives but on demonstrable transparency, measurable outcomes and visible commitment to the victims of conflict.
For many Benue people, reassurance will come less from official assurances and more from evidence that justice, reconstruction and reintegration can proceed side by side.
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