A total of 744 repentant terrorists have graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Camp under Operation Safe Corridor.
Most of the participants were from Borno (597), followed by Yobe (58), Kano (15), Bauchi (12), and Adamawa (10), 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 held in Gombe, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said the programme is a strategic effort to address the root causes of insurgency, stressing it is not an amnesty but a measure to reduce reoffending and curb extremist recruitment.
“This is not a reward but a deliberate approach to reducing violence, weakening recruitment pipelines, and fostering long-term stability,” he said.
He noted that combining military operations with rehabilitation is key to achieving lasting peace, urging the graduates to embrace reintegration and shun violence.
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.
“This process is about rebuilding identity, restoring values, and preparing individuals to return as responsible members of society,” he said.
Ali added that the programme equips participants with the skills needed to reintegrate and contribute positively to national development, noting that reintegration requires collective support from government, communities, and families.
FG graduates 744 repentant terrorists under Safe Corridor programme
