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Says Safe Corridor for conscripted terrorists, not hardened criminals
From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), on Tuesday, said there is no truth in the claims making the rounds that the armed forces are secretly recruiting repentant terrorists and other criminals into the military.
It maintained that it cannot recruit any killers into the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The DHQ also described as unfounded claims that scores of repentant terrorists who were de-radicalised and reintegrated into society now work as informants for Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and engage in subterfuge against military operations in the North-East.
Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, who made this known, said:
“We are not recruiting any killers into the army, and we can never do that.”
Ali, at a media briefing in Abuja, said, “There is no way the repentant terrorists, who are low-risk terrorists, who were conscripted, forced to join the Boko Haram insurgency against their will, and many who escaped from the terrorists’ dens when the opportunity came, can go back to the terrorists’ group. They will be killed. The high-risk terrorists believe they are now government spies who have benefited and will sell them out.”
The coordinator, who took time to explain the rehabilitation and reintegration initiative of Operation Safe Corridor, maintained that the Nigerian Army has strict recruitment rules, which automatically disqualify anyone with a criminal record.
He said, “Once you have any criminal record, you cannot join the military or any security agency.”
While noting that Operation Safe Corridor is not a physical camp or military recruitment drive, Gen. Ali said it is an initiative designed to manage surrendered insurgents.
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Launched in 2015–2016 at the height of insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East, the programme addresses the large number of fighters who voluntarily surrendered or escaped during military offensives.
Many of these individuals were coerced into terrorist groups after their communities, including Gwoza, Bama, and Madagali, were attacked.
Continuing, the coordinator noted that a multi-agency screening process involving the Ministry of Justice and other government and international bodies classifies surrendered terrorists into three categories, including low-risk (forced or coerced participants with no prosecutable offences), medium-risk (individuals with some involvement in terrorist activities), and high-risk (core fighters and commanders).
He said, “Only the low-risk group is admitted into Operation Safe Corridor for rehabilitation – these are individuals the justice system has determined have no case to answer.”
He further stated that “Participants receive de-radicalisation, trauma counselling, and vocational training to prepare them for civilian life. Many arrive suffering from psychological trauma and drug dependency.
“Skills training, such as tailoring, carpentry, and farming, helps ensure they can contribute positively to society.”
While noting that Operation Safe Corridor does not replace criminal justice, Gen. Ali said, “Hardcore terrorists captured during operations are prosecuted and, if convicted, imprisoned.
“The programme operates on a dual-track system: criminal justice for offenders and rehabilitation and reintegration for victims.”
He said, “The military’s message is clear: Operation Safe Corridor is about rehabilitation, not recruitment, and its purpose is to prevent a return to violence.”
