Following the recent graduation of 744 repentant terrorists under the federal government’s controversial Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration programme, many Nigerians have raised concerns on the rehabilitation of violent criminals who killed senior officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces, slaughtered other Nigerians and terrorised communities, Davidson Iriekpen reports
Not a few Nigerians were outraged when the federal government recently graduated a total of 744 repentant terrorists from its Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDR) Camp under Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State.
Most of the participants were from Borno (597), followed by Yobe (58), Kano (15), Bauchi (12), and Adamawa (10). Others were from Abia (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Anambra (2), Ebonyi (3), Enugu (1), Katsina (3), Kebbi (1), Kogi (5), Nasarawa (4), Niger (2), Plateau (2), and Sokoto (2).
The group also included foreign nationals: one each from Burkina Faso and Cameroon, two from Chad, and four from the Niger Republic.
At the graduation ceremony, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, stated that the programme was a strategic effort to address the root causes of insurgency, emphasising that it was not an amnesty but a measure to reduce reoffending and curb extremist recruitment. He noted that combining military operations with rehabilitation was key to achieving lasting peace, urging the graduates to embrace reintegration and shun violence.
“This is not a reward but a deliberate approach to reducing violence, weakening recruitment pipelines, and fostering long-term stability,” he said.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, said participants underwent psychosocial support, vocational training, and reorientation programmes to prepare them for reintegration, describing it as a collective responsibility. He added that the programme equipped participants with the skills needed to reintegrate and contribute positively to national development, noting that reintegration would require collective support from government, communities, and families.
In 2016, the late President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration launched the controversial Operation Safe Corridor to facilitate the rehabilitation of ex-insurgents.
Defending the programme, the federal government had argued that the reintegration of deradicalised combatants would ensure sustainable peace and security in the state and help bring the decade-long insurgency to an end.
On March 23, 2018, the then President Buhari while receiving 105 schoolgirls who were abducted from the Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi, Yobe State, in February that year, announced that his administration was prepared to offer amnesty to repentant Boko Haram members who were willing to surrender and embrace peace.
According to him, the amnesty was extended to those who would surrender “unconditionally”. Buhari stated his willingness to rehabilitate and reintegrate these “repentant” individuals into society. The aim, he said, was to reduce insecurity, save lives lost during the conflict, and re-channel funds used for weapons toward infrastructure development.
Though the 744 repentant terrorists were not the first to go through the deradicalisation process, many retired military officers, human rights activists, lawyers and other concerned Nigerians have expressed outrage as they condemned the reintegration of repentant terrorists into the society.
However, many analysts believe that DRR was not a Nigerian invention or a sign of weakness, but a globally recognised peace-building strategy accepted or designed to remove fighters from armed groups, disarm them, and help them return to civilian life so they can become active participants in peace processes.
But others have condemned the rehabilitation of terrorists who have wreaked havoc on Nigerians.
For instance, the United Nations approach to the DRR, particularly within the context of Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR) strategies, emphasises a comprehensive, human rights-based, and gender-sensitive approach to managing individuals associated with terrorist groups. It is not merely a “soft” approach but a strategic tool aimed at long-term peace and security.
The DRR approach is used because conflicts rarely end through force alone. It is believed that when people join armed groups due to poverty, marginalisation, or government failures, reintegration addresses the root causes of violence rather than only the symptoms.
Those who spoke with THISDAY did not hide their anxiety about this model. They were alarmed that the federal government succumbed to a policy that tends to mock those killed or destroyed by the “so-called” repentant gangs.
They stated that not all the former Islamist extremist fighters are genuinely repentant, and warned the federal government to be careful with its decision to reintegrate the repentant terrorists into society. They also described the policy as a ploy for insurgents to gather intelligence, infiltrate security agencies, and escape justice.
Some, however, believe that if amnesty must be given to the repentant terrorists, it should be those under 18 years, while others from 18 years should be prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to either terms of imprisonment or the death penalty.
Other concerned stakeholders also condemned the reintegration of repentant terrorists into society, arguing that it is unfair to prioritise their welfare over that of their victims. Some argued that the move would undermine the morale of serving armed personnel, who put their lives on the line every day while facing relentless attacks from terrorists.
The National President of the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Isah Abubakar, strongly opposed the policy. In a statement, he said, “Prioritising the rehabilitation and reintegration of former fighters without corresponding justice and compensation for victims undermines trust and could worsen insecurity.”
“Sustainable peace can only be achieved when the welfare and rights of victims are given equal priority alongside any reconciliation efforts,” he added.
The National President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Bitrus Pogu in his reaction said: “I am one of those who disagree with that policy. Why don’t we go and get armed robbers and also say they are deradicalised, and then bring them into society? Why are these criminals, who are unprovoked killers, who kill innocent farmers, innocent Nigerians at will, unarmed aggrieved Nigerians, being treated as if they are special human beings? Unfortunately, this country is not ruled by equal standards for all people.”
A retired senior police officer, who spoke anonymously said: “It is sad that the same military that has lost thousands of soldiers and officers is the one describing the exercise as a strategic intervention to dismantle extremism and cannot see that it is a ploy for insurgents to gather intelligence, infiltrate security agencies, and escape justice.
“I was among those who criticised the so-called ‘safe corridor.’ I couldn’t really understand it. How would they integrate? Take Jilli market where the Air Force bombed recently, it was a Boko Haram supply hub. Terrorists came openly to buy fuel and food. They have a community around them. After all that, you want to reintegrate them into the society where they have their former members? Some people don’t even understand the ideology, they just have a soft spot for Boko Haram. To be candid, we even have senior officers who sympathise with them. They have infiltrated the system.”
He questioned the very foundation of the Nigerian state.
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