Ibrahim Mohammed, 32, had spent years as a jihadist fighter in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state when a video message from his mother changed everything.
A 2009 uprising by the Boko Haram group triggered Nigeria's ongoing insurgency, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 3 million.
Mohammed was among about 720 former fighters who recently completed a state government rehabilitation programme, part of non-military efforts to counter the insurgency.
Participants spent months at a camp in the state capital learning vocational skills such as car repairs and tailoring.
Former fighters said life was hard in the mountains and forests, where they were constantly on the move and often went days without sleep.
Ya Fanna Isa, 25, spent a decade in Boko Haram captivity after being abducted from her village, marrying a fighter and raising four children.
She eventually fled with two of her children, while her other two remained with their father.
Despite the intentions behind the programme, some experts say it has flaws that could 'affect their promise of stabilisation and durable peace'.
