Former members of Boko Haram have recounted how coercion, misinformation, years of hardship and disillusionment with insurgency eventually pushed them to abandon the group and surrender to Nigerian authorities. Another former fighter, Mohammed Ibrahim, said he joined Boko Haram after being influenced by friends and later regretted spending more than a decade with the group. A former Boko Haram cleric, identified as Malam Bashir, said he once held a prominent religious position within the group and worked closely with its late leader, Abubakar Shekau. Bashir said he later regained his freedom during the internal conflict between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. The security adviser disclosed that 9,680 low-risk former Boko Haram fighters and members of their families had so far been reintegrated into communities.