Benue State Seeks Approval for Bandit Rehabilitation Center

The Benue State Government is pursuing federal approval to establish a rehabilitation center for repentant bandits, as disclosed by the State Director General of the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Josephin Habba, on Monday in Makurdi. The center aims to rehabilitate 400 individuals, including women and children, who have been involved with local banditry but are not necessarily criminals.

The initiative is part of a broader disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program, which has been proposed to Chief Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede. The program is expected to attract international attention and will include a six-month certification course for participants.

The state has already biometrically registered 1,800 individuals, with plans to rehabilitate 400. The project is anticipated to cost millions of naira and aims to restore livelihoods and rebuild essential services in the community.

A peace summit is scheduled for February 25, 2026, to further discuss the operationalization of the center.