By Harriet Tornguvan
The Defence Headquarters has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to structured rehabilitation and reintegration of former insurgents as part of broader efforts to consolidate security gains across the country.
At a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened in Abuja in collaboration with Operation Safe Corridor, defence authorities finalised arrangements for transferring rehabilitated beneficiaries to their respective state and national authorities for reintegration into society.
Speaking at the meeting held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, represented by the Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Jamal Abdusalam, stressed the need for a whole of government and whole of society approach to peacebuilding and national recovery.
He described the Safe Corridor initiative as a vital component of Nigeria’s security framework, noting that while military operations create conditions for stability, effective rehabilitation and reintegration are essential to prevent a resurgence of violence.
According to the CDS, since its launch in 2016 the programme has processed thousands of individuals through a structured Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) system. Proper screening and coordinated surrender processes, he said, help weaken insurgent networks, generate intelligence and support long-term national stability.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the programme, Brigadier General Y. Ali, commended the CDS for sustained leadership and institutional backing, noting that the initiative operates as a multi-agency humanitarian stabilisation platform involving 17 security services, ministries, departments and agencies, guided by constitutional provisions and international humanitarian standards.
He explained that the programme has continued to strengthen its screening procedures, ideological disengagement modules, psychosocial recovery systems and inter-agency coordination, with emphasis on accountability, behavioural change and sustainable reintegration outcomes.
Providing operational updates, the coordinator disclosed that 117 participants from Borno State recently completed the DRR process at the Mallam Sidi camp, reflecting improved federal–state cooperation in reception, monitoring and community reintegration.
He also highlighted the expansion of the programme to the North-West, including the establishment of a rehabilitation camp last year, alongside ongoing engagements with Zamfara State to reposition the facility into a broader victim healing, rehabilitation and reintegration centre.
In the North-Central region, he added, Benue State has formally requested the establishment of a similar camp, with Defence Headquarters already assessing proposed sites.
Ali said the Abuja meeting was designed to clarify the responsibilities of state authorities and relevant agencies, agree on structured resettlement support, outline community sensitisation strategies and ratify graduation timelines for rehabilitated participants.
The meeting attracted representatives from federal ministries, the Office of the National Security Adviser, state governments, neighbouring countries and international partners including the European Union, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Organization for Migration, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Participants received updates on de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration activities, underscoring Nigeria’s resolve to sustain security improvements through coordinated humanitarian stabilisation and post-conflict recovery measures.
