22 repentant Boko Haram members graduate from FG’s deradicalisation and rehabilitation programme in Gombe
The Federal Government’s deradicalization and rehabilitation process has been completed by no fewer than twenty-two former members of ISWAP and Boko Haram.
On Wednesday, January 24, 2024, the graduation ceremony took place at Operation Safe Corridor in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, Gombe State.
The Nigerian Federal Government launched an initiative in 2016 to persuade members of terrorist and insurgent organisations to turn themselves in.
The graduates were given certificates and starter packets to help them become self-reliant after taking an oath of allegiance to the Nigerian state.
Speaking, Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, who was represented by Major General Mohammed Ahmed, cleared misconceptions about the operation, saying the processes would be overhauled.
According to him, the operation has deliberately adopted a non-kinetic approach in a bid to tackle the security challenges in the region.
“The operation is a major arm of the military’s non-kinetic offensive against insecurity in the North-East region. None of the graduates were linked to terrorism after their graduation. It will be unfortunate for them to be stigmatised and discriminated,” Musa stated.
Speaking further, Musa explained that since Operation Safe Corridor began operating, it has trained and reintegrated a total of 2,168 persons into the society.
I am not, however, unaware that many citizens of this country have expressed fears that Operation Safe Corridor is a mere scheme that recircles terrorists and insurgence into society; others said that graduates of the scheme are covertly recruited into the forces of Nigeria, like the Nigerian police, and other government security agencies arising from such insinuations mostly perpetrators by mischief makers and misguided patriots.
“The armed forces under my watch will not allow such unfounded imagination to happen,” he added.
He also refuted allegations that the country has been recruiting those with insurgency links into security agencies.
“Accordingly, my disposition in the fight against terrorism and insurgency are enough to convince you that I can’t watch and allow confirmed terrorists, insurgents or perpetrators of other criminals acts who are enemies of our beloveth nation to be recruited into any any of the security agencies in the country under any guise or whatsoever.”