Operation Safe Corridor Focuses on Deradicalisation, not Military Recruitment, Says Coordinator
The coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, has clarified that the programme is designed to weaken terrorist and bandit recruitment pipelines by encouraging voluntary surrender, rehabilitation, and reintegration of former fighters.
Ali made the clarification on Tuesday during a Defence Headquarters media briefing in Abuja, stressing that OPSC is neither a recruitment pathway into the Armed Forces nor a reward mechanism for criminal conduct.
He explained that the initiative emerged between 2015 and 2016 at the height of insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East, when military operations led to the recovery of territories previously held by armed groups and the surrender of individuals classified as low-risk.
According to him, many of those who surrendered were victims of forced recruitment or abduction during insurgent occupation of communities such as Madagali and other populated areas, while others were compelled into logistical or support roles after being intercepted or coerced.
Ali stated that the central challenge at the time was how to manage surrendered individuals who did not meet the threshold for prosecution, which informed the creation of OPSC as a structured transitional justice mechanism.
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He noted that classification into low, medium, and high-risk categories is conducted through a multi-agency screening process involving more than 17 ministries, departments, and agencies, including the Ministry of Justice. The ministry, he said, determines whether individuals have criminal cases to answer, while those assessed as low-risk and deemed victims of circumstance are transferred to the programme.
High-risk individuals, including core combatants captured during operations, are prosecuted under Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
Ali emphasised that OPSC operates in parallel with the judicial process, with convicted persons serving sentences while eligible participants undergo deradicalisation, psychosocial support, vocational training, and reintegration.
Implementing agencies include the Nigerian Correctional Service for deradicalisation, the National Directorate of Employment for skills acquisition, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for addressing substance abuse challenges among participants.
He further explained that beneficiaries are trained in vocational skills such as tailoring, welding, and other trades to support reintegration into society after completion of the programme.
Ali also reiterated that OPSC is not a recruitment platform for the military and does not constitute immunity from prosecution, adding that accountability mechanisms remain fully in place for individuals found culpable of criminal acts.
He described the initiative as a complementary component of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency strategy aimed at reducing extremist recruitment and supporting community stabilization and peacebuilding efforts.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Borno State recently received 230 repentant insurgents processed through the programme, reflecting ongoing reintegration efforts in the North-East region of Nigeria.
By PRNigeria
