2,190 ex-terrorists reintegrated through Operation Safe Corridor – DHQ

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Ali, on Tuesday said no fewer than 2,190 repentant terrorists have been reintegrated since the inception of the program in 2016.

He said among those reintegrated are 27 foreign nationals who have since been repatriated to their respective countries.

Gen. Ali, who made this known at the opening of a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, pointed out that between July and November 2024, 825 new clients—including 14 foreigners from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger—were transferred to the De-radicalization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) camp for training.

He also said that 22 clients requiring further psychological evaluation were transferred to the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri.

According to him, “Since the commencement of the Programme in 2016, OPSC has successfully processed 2,190 clients comprising 2,163 Nigerians and 27 foreign nationals from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. All the foreign clients were transferred to their respective national authorities for reintegration.

“Between July and November 2024, a total of 825 clients were transferred to the DRR Camp to commence training. Amongst them are 14 foreigners from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. It is also important to mention that 22 clients were subsequently transferred to the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, for further evaluation and management.”

According to Gen. Ali, the meeting was aimed at finalizing strategies for the smooth transfer of rehabilitated clients to state and national authorities for reintegration upon graduation in March 2025.

He said, “Our purpose this morning, in line with the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff/National Chairman of OPSC, is to work out modalities for the smooth transfer of the clients presently in the camp to their national and state authorities for reintegration after graduation in March 2025. Specifically, at the end of this meeting, it is expected that we would have achieved the following milestones:

1. All stakeholders would be fully abreast with activities of OPSC and the DRR Programme in particular.
2. The state authorities and the MDAs would know, in specific terms, the roles they would play in the transfer as well as the reintegration process of the clients.
3. Identify and recommend, in specific terms, an affordable resettlement package for the clients and assign responsibility to relevant MDAs to provide.
4. Determine the mode of community sensitization, camp visitation, and community service programmes.
5. Ratify the graduation date and initiate arrangements for the ceremony.”

In his address, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, while emphasizing the importance of proper reintegration to sustain the progress made by OPSC, revealed that over 130,000 insurgents and their family members have surrendered since the program began. He added that currently, 789 ex-combatants are undergoing rehabilitation, with 381 expected to graduate in 2025.

Represented by the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Shayi Olatunde, the CDS called on state governments to facilitate the reintegration process by providing additional support, including security measures to track and monitor the ex-combatants’ progress.

He reiterated that each graduate would receive personal items and startup packages to help them establish small businesses and start a new life.

“Consequently, we currently have a total of 789 ex-combatants undergoing the de-radicalization, rehabilitation, and reintegration program under the initiative.

“Who are expected to graduate this year? To this meeting, I therefore say that conforming law with localities ensures the proper integration of the first of two parties, consisting of 381 clients in the United States. Considering the diverse perspectives of the committee members in this room, I have no doubt that all issues pertaining to the successful reintegration of these clients back into society will be exhaustively discussed with pragmatic solutions to be found.

“It is also important to mention that upon graduation from this scheme, each client will be provided with some personal items as well as start-up packs based on the skills acquired, including their families.

“This is to enable them to set up small businesses and start a new life. Accordingly, I urge benefiting state governments to facilitate the seamless reintegration of the ex-combatants by providing additional support to ease the transitional process. We are very optimistic that, working closely with local and traditional authorities, the state can deploy security apparatus at their disposal to effectively track and monitor the progress of the reintegrated ex-combatants.”