Analyst Defends Operation Safe Corridor, Says Programme Key to Nigeria’s Counterinsurgency Efforts

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

A communication scholar, David Akoji, has defended Nigeria’s Operation Safe Corridor, describing it as a critical but misunderstood strategy in the country’s fight against insurgency.

In an article titled Nigeria’s Operation Safe Corridor: A Deep Dive Beyond the Criticisms and Resistance, Akoji said the programme was created after troops began reclaiming territories from Boko Haram in the North-East and authorities faced the challenge of dealing with abductees, coerced recruits and other low-risk individuals found in insurgent camps.

He said the initiative introduced a non-kinetic approach focused on disengagement, deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration, rather than treating all returnees as hardened extremists.

According to him, participants who qualify for the programme undergo screening by the Federal Ministry of Justice and security agencies before receiving psychological counselling, religious reorientation, civic education and vocational training in controlled facilities.

Akoji stated that more than 3,000 individuals have passed through the programme since inception and have been reintegrated into communities.

He argued that each defector weakens insurgent groups by reducing recruitment, providing intelligence and encouraging others still in the bush to surrender.

The researcher, however, acknowledged widespread public skepticism, especially among victims of insurgent violence, who see the programme as rewarding former fighters while survivors continue to face trauma, displacement and poverty.

He blamed part of the criticism on poor public communication by government agencies, saying authorities have not sufficiently explained eligibility criteria, risk management measures or support systems for host communities and victims.

Akoji noted that countries such as Colombia, Saudi Arabia and Somalia have adopted similar reintegration models, though Nigeria’s programme is operating while the insurgency is still ongoing.

He also identified challenges including funding constraints, weak post-reintegration monitoring, poor community consultation and unresolved issues such as poverty, marginalisation and governance deficits.

According to him, Operation Safe Corridor was never designed to end insurgency alone but to complement military operations by reducing the number of fighters available to extremist groups.

He called for greater transparency, stronger community engagement, expanded support forvictims and sustainable economic opportunities for rehabilitated participants.

Akoji is a PhD student of Communication and Media Studies at Bingham University.