- Says there are other State-led DRR initiatives not under the control or supervision of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) or Defence Headquarters (DHQ)
Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), Brigadier General Yusuf Ali has denied claims that repentant Boko Haram terrorists, under the De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme, are being recruited into the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), armed, mobilised and deployed for combat operations.
Reacting to a viral video by a Danish blogger, Jones Raw, alleging that “repentant and active Boko Haram terrorists are being armed to fight alongside the Nigerian military,” General Ali stated that the claim is false, misleading, and entirely unfounded.
The OPSC Coordinator said the Danish blogger and the individuals who featured in the video “are not known to, nor have they ever been associated with, or granted access to the OPSC facility, rendering the claims not only inaccurate but deliberately misleading.
“For clarity, it is important to state that there are several state-led De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) initiatives across the country which operate independently and are not under the control or supervision of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) or Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
“Individuals processed through such state-level arrangements are not recognised as participants within the DHQ-led Operation Safe Corridor framework. This distinction is critical in addressing the misinformation being circulated.”
The Coordinator said upon completion of the programme, participants are formally handed over to relevant State government for reintegration but they remain within established monitoring frameworks.
He added that the programme continues to serve as a critical component of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy by reducing the pool of fighters, encouraging voluntary disengagement, and supporting long-term national stability.