The rehabilitation and reintegration of suspected Boko Haram insurgents is a contentious and hotly-debated issue, with some Nigerians attributing such action to the renewed upsurge in insecurity.

In a move that will further divide opinion and cast a long dark shadow on the administration of president Muhammadu Buhari, A bill sponsored by Ibrahim Gaidam, senator representing Yobe east is seeking to create an agency for rehabilitation of repentant insurgents.

The bill has passed first reading at the senate.

The short title of the bill reads: “National Agency for the Education, Rehabilitation, De-radicalisation and Integration of repentant insurgents in Nigeria”.

There were mixed reactions from senators after Ovie Omo-Agege, deputy senate president, hit the gavel approving the bill for first reading.

The federal government has been castigated for releasing some “repentant” Boko Haram insurgents.

Some soldiers had expressed concern about the development and wondered why the federal government would release the suspects in large numbers.

Last month, the Nigerian military said no fewer than 608 repentant Boko Haram insurgents were undergoing the De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme under its Operation Safe Corridor in Malam-Sidi, Gombe State.

Clients, the military euphemism for the repentant insurgents, were said to have been exposed to formal literacy classes, skills acquisition and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) as well as drug and psycho-therapists during their training.

About 1,400 suspected insurgents have been reportedly rehabilitated and released.