From Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto
Colonel Ahmed Usman (retd), Special Adviser on Security to the Sokoto State governor, has assured the public that 390 former Boko Haram fighters who completed the federal government’s Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) programme are no longer a security threat.
Speaking in Sokoto on Thursday, Usman urged the state government to bolster support systems to complement military counterinsurgency efforts and ensure these individuals’ successful reintegration.
“These individuals have undergone intensive psychological counselling, vocational training, and civic education. They have acquired skills in carpentry, tailoring, welding, agriculture, and shoemaking. They are ready to contribute meaningfully to society,” Usman said.
He emphasised that the DRR programme’s long-term success depends on community acceptance and called for collaboration among local authorities, traditional leaders, and civil society to develop sustainable reintegration frameworks.
“Peace is not achieved by weapons alone. We must embrace inclusive strategies that foster trust, rebuild livelihoods, and give these individuals a second chance,” he added.
Initiated in 2016, Operation Safe Corridor’s DRR programme is a key non-kinetic approach to countering insurgency, encouraging defections and guiding repentant fighters back to civilian life.
Usman highlighted community sensitisation and economic empowerment as critical to preventing recidivism and promoting lasting peace, noting that reintegrated ex-combatants can become productive citizens with adequate support.