Empirical Examination of Societal Responses to Persons Returning from Extremist Groups in North East Nigeria

Community acceptance of persons returning from extremist groups is a critical determinant of successful reintegration, yet the socio-psychological dynamics of Nigerian community attitudes toward returnees in the North East remain empirically undercharacterised. This study empirically examines community responses to persons returning from Boko Haram and affiliated groups in Borno and Yobe States, filling a documented research gap in the deradicalization literature. A mixed-methods design was employed, with structured community attitude surveys using an adapted version of the Community Acceptance of Returnees Scale administered to 380 community members in Maiduguri, Nguru, and Damaturu, complemented by twenty in-depth interviews with community leaders, returnees, and civil society actors. Ordered logistic regression identified predictors of acceptance levels. Results indicate that 44% of surveyed community members expressed low or very low acceptance of returnees, 34% moderate acceptance, and only 22% high acceptance. Direct victimisation experience was the strongest negative predictor of acceptance, reducing acceptance odds by 61%. Positive contact with a returnee who demonstrated visible reform reduced rejection probability by 38%, supporting contact hypothesis mechanisms. Religious leader endorsement of forgiveness and reintegration was the most significant institutional predictor of community acceptance. Female community members demonstrated significantly lower acceptance levels than men, reflecting gendered dimensions of victimization experience. The study contributes empirically calibrated evidence for the design of community preparation interventions as a necessary precondition for effective returnee reintegration in North East Nigeria. Keywords: returnee reintegration, extremism, community acceptance, Borno State, deradicalization.