The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has firmly dismissed allegations that Nigeria’s armed forces are covertly recruiting repentant terrorists, describing the claims as false and misleading.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, said the military maintains strict recruitment standards that categorically exclude individuals with criminal records.
“We are not recruiting any former terrorists into the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and we can never do that,” Ali stated, stressing that due process and integrity remain central to military enlistment.
The clarification comes amid growing public concern over reports suggesting that rehabilitated insurgents were being absorbed into the military or used in sensitive security roles. DHQ also rejected assertions that former fighters who passed through the deradicalisation programme had returned to aid terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP.
According to Ali, such claims ignore the realities faced by these individuals, many of whom would be targeted and killed if they attempted to rejoin insurgent groups.
He explained that Operation Safe Corridor, established at the height of the North-East insurgency between 2015 and 2016, is not a recruitment platform but a structured rehabilitation initiative designed for surrendered fighters classified as low-risk.
“These are individuals who were largely coerced or forced into joining insurgent groups and have been cleared by the justice system as having no prosecutable case,” he said.
Ali outlined a rigorous screening process involving multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, which categorises ex-combatants into low, medium, and high-risk groups. Only those deemed low-risk are admitted into the programme, while others face prosecution where necessary.
Participants in the initiative undergo psychological support, deradicalisation, and vocational training aimed at reintegrating them into society as productive civilians. Skills such as carpentry, tailoring, and farming are provided to reduce the likelihood of relapse into violence.
Reaffirming the military’s stance, Ali noted that the programme operates alongside the criminal justice system, ensuring that those responsible for serious crimes are prosecuted accordingly.
“The objective is clear,” he said. “Operation Safe Corridor is about rehabilitation and reintegration—not recruitment—and it is critical to breaking the cycle of insurgency.”
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