FG Graduates 744 Rehabilitated Clients in Gombe

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Federal Government has graduated 744 Clients and victims of violent extremism who completed a six-month deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme at the DRR Camp in Mallam Sidi, Gombe State.

The government said the latest exercise brings the total number of rehabilitated participants, now referred to as clients, to over 3,000 since the programme began about a decade ago.

The graduates, drawn from five geopolitical zones as well as neighbouring West African and Sahel countries, completed the programme under Operation Safe Corridor.

Speaking at the ceremony for Special Batches 7/2024, 8/2025 and Classified Batch 1/2025, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyode, said the initiative is not an amnesty programme but a strategy to address the root causes of extremism.

Represented by Rear Admiral Kabiru Tanimu, he said the programme combines military operations with non-kinetic measures aimed at reducing violence and preventing further recruitment into extremist groups.

He urged the graduates to embrace peaceful living and contribute positively to society, describing the programme as an opportunity for a new beginning.

The CDS reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to securing the country through both military and non-military approaches.

Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, said participants underwent psychosocial support, vocational training, religious reorientation and civic education during the programme.

He described the initiative as a structured pathway for individuals willing to renounce violence, adding that many of the participants were victims of coercion, abduction and other circumstances linked to the conflict.

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, represented by Ambassador Yusuf Musa, said the programme reflects the government’s commitment to peacebuilding and urged the graduates to make productive use of the opportunity.

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, represented by Suleiman Abdullahi, said the outcome highlights the importance of collaboration and national unity in addressing insurgency.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), one of the programme’s implementing partners, said the graduation underscores shared responsibility among government institutions, donors and communities in supporting sustainable reintegration.

Represented by Seve Diomande, the organisation described the event as a milestone for participants and stakeholders involved in peacebuilding efforts across the country.