No fewer than 117 repentant terrorists from Borno State have successfully graduated from Nigeria's Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme under Operation Safe Corridor, as the initiative expands beyond the North East.
The milestone was announced during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Defence Headquarters at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
The gathering focused on finalising arrangements for transferring the rehabilitated individuals referred to as "clients" to federal and state authorities for sustainable community reintegration.
Brig. Gen. Y. Ali, Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, disclosed that the 117 participants completed the DRR process at the Mallam Sidi Camp in Borno State.
He highlighted the achievement as a sign of improved collaboration between federal and state governments in areas such as reception, monitoring, and community reintegration.
The programme, launched in 2016, combines deradicalisation, vocational training, psychological support, and civic reorientation to help surrendered fighters reintegrate into society and prevent recidivism.
It forms a key non-kinetic component of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategy, complementing military operations.
Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman of the Operation Safe Corridor National Steering Committee (represented by Maj. Gen. Jamal Abdusalam, Chief of Defence Operations), emphasised that while kinetic efforts create security space, structured rehabilitation is vital for long-term stability and to avoid a return to violence.
Authorities noted the programme's expansion to the North West, where a DRR camp was established last year.
Engagements are ongoing in Zamfara State to adapt the framework toward a broader Victim Healing, Rehabilitation and Reintegration approach, incorporating psychosocial support, community reconciliation, livelihood opportunities, and monitoring.
Benue State in the North Central region has requested a similar DRR facility, with Defence Headquarters currently evaluating proposed sites for compliance with national security, infrastructure, and sustainability standards.
The stakeholders’ meeting included representatives from federal ministries, the Office of the National Security Adviser, state governments, neighbouring countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon), and international partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration, Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The development underscores ongoing efforts to address insurgency and banditry through a combination of military pressure and rehabilitation pathways.
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