No fewer than 117 repentant terrorists from Borno State have completed the Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme under Operation Safe Corridor, as the initiative extends to the North West.
The Benue State Government has also requested the establishment of a DRR camp in the North Central region.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, said the graduation was announced at a stakeholders’ meeting convened by Defence Headquarters at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre. The meeting focused on arrangements for transferring rehabilitated clients to national and state authorities for reintegration.
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The Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brig. Gen. Y. Ali, said the 117 graduates completed the DRR process at Mallam Sidi Camp in Borno State.
He said the development reflects improved coordination between federal and state authorities on reception, monitoring and community reintegration.
The statement read in part, “Providing operational updates, the Coordinator disclosed that 117 clients from Borno State have successfully completed the DRR process at Mallam Sidi Camp, reflecting strengthened federal–state harmonisation in reception, monitoring and community reintegration.
“He also highlighted the expansion of OPSC to the North West, where a DRR camp established in February last year marked a significant stabilisation milestone.
Ongoing engagements with Zamfara State aim to recalibrate the facility toward a comprehensive Victim Healing, Rehabilitation and Reintegration framework, integrating psychosocial recovery, community reconciliation, livelihood support and structured monitoring.”
In the North Central region, Ali said Benue State had formally requested a DRR camp. He added that Defence Headquarters had assessed proposed sites and advised that they meet national infrastructure, security and sustainability standards before approval.
Participants at the meeting included representatives of federal ministries, the Office of the National Security Adviser, state governments, neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Cameroon and international partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration, Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman of the OPSC National Steering Committee, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, represented by the Chief of Defence Operations, Maj. Gen. Jamal Abdusalam, said Operation Safe Corridor remains a key part of Nigeria’s security framework.
He said that while military operations help restore stability, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes are needed to sustain progress and prevent a return to violence.