Benue government says some pregnant women coerced into gangs among 400 bandits set for UN-funded DDR rehabilitation

The Benue State Government has disclosed that pregnant women who were kidnapped and forced to serve as cooks for criminal gangs are included among 400 local bandits willing to surrender and undergo rehabilitation.

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Speaking in Makurdi, the Director-General of the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation, Josephine Habba, explained that the state is seeking federal approval to establish a Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Centre in Logo Local Government Area, with funding from the United Nations.

Habba emphasized that many of those affected were coerced into criminal activity and were not necessarily perpetrators, including abducted victims used as foot soldiers for bandit gangs in forests.

She noted that over 1,800 people were registered via biometrics, but 400 have indicated readiness for rehabilitation.

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The DDR programme will aim to reintegrate these individuals into society, providing certificates upon completion. The commission plans to unveil the full rehabilitation framework at a peace summit on February 25, 2026.