CDS Reaffirms Commitment to Reintegration as Safe Corridor Expands

The Defence Headquarters has held a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja to finalise plans for transferring rehabilitated former combatants under Operation Safe Corridor to national and state authorities for reintegration.

The meeting at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre drew participants from federal ministries, the Office of the National Security Adviser, state governments, and neighbouring countries including Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. International partners such as Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were also in attendance.

According to a statement signed by Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, the keynote address was delivered on behalf of theChief of Defence Staff and Chairman of the programme’s National Steering Committee, General Olufemi Oluyede, by the Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Jamal Abdusalam. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to peacebuilding.

The CDS described Operation Safe Corridor as a key component of the country’s security framework, saying that while military operations help create conditions for stability, structured rehabilitation and reintegration are vital to preventing a resurgence of violence. Since its launch in 2016, he said, the programme has processed thousands of participants through a controlled disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration system.

Earlier, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Y. Ali, thanked the CDS for hissupport and said the programme continues to evolve institutionally. He emphasised that the initiative remains a multi-agency effort backed by Nigerian law and international humanitarian frameworks, with staff drawn from 17 ministries, departments and agencies.

He noted improvements in screening, ideological disengagement, psychosocial support and inter-agency collaboration. He added that 117 clients from Borno State recently completed the rehabilitation process at the Mallam Sidi camp, reflecting stronger coordination between federal and state authorities.

Brigadier General Ali also reported the expansion of the programme to the North-West, where a deradicalisation and reintegration camp established last year represents a significant stabilisation step. Engagements with Zamfara State, he said, aim to evolve the facility into a comprehensive centre for victim healing,reconciliation, livelihood support and monitoring.

In the North-Central region, he confirmed that Benue State has requested the establishment of a reintegration camp. He said Defence Headquarters has assessed proposed locations and advised alignment with national infrastructure and security standards before approval.

The meeting reviewed roles of state authorities and government agencies, frameworks for community sensitisation, and timelines for transferring rehabilitated individuals. It also featured operational updates, presentations and group photographs, which the Defence Headquarters said underscored Nigeria’s commitment to consolidating security gains through coordinated rehabilitation and reintegration.