We’ve Rehabilitated 278 Nigerian, 2 Chadian ex-Terrorists–Military
No fewer than 280 repentant Boko Haram fighters, including two Chadians, have been rehabilitated and successfully reintegrated back into the society, with the support of Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC’s) Deradicalization, Rehabilitation and Re-integration (DDR) programme.
Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said the ex-terrorists were rehabilitated between 2016 and this year.
Enenche, who disclosed this while addressing defence correspondents at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday, explained that the concept of OPSC is a unique non-kinetic operation aimed at giving hope to ex-combatants, who willingly give up their arms to embrace peace.
“It is a Defence Headquarters (DHQ)-led multi-agency humanitarian effort based on De-radicalization, Rehabilitation and Re-Integration (DRR) of ex-combatant Boko Haram members that willingly surrender, which was established in September 2015 and became operational in 2016,” he said.
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Enenche, maintained that going by the concept and conduct of Operation SAFE CORRIDOR, it is not a process of assembling raw repentant ex-combatants to inject back into the society by the Military, but an international best practice for conflict management, backed by relevant laws, with the concurrence of key stakeholders such as international organizations and MDAs among others.
Since its inception in 2016, the DMO Coordinator, revealed that OPSC has admitted 893 ex-combatants for the Programme.
He said: “Presently, there are 603 of them undergoing the DRR Programme and would be graduating by July 2020. The Operation is a success story as feedbacks from those reintegrated are positive. A particular one in Bama who learnt barbing as a vocation has successfully empowered 4 locals and is happily married with children.”
Maj. Gen. Enenche, pointed out that OPSC is guided by, among other provisions, such as International Humanitarian and Human Rights Laws.
“It is being administered by 468 staff drawn from 17 organizations including the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), Law Enforcement and Security Agencies, other Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including North East Development Commission (NEDC) as well as locals from Gombe, where the DRR camp is located. The scheme also enjoys widespread collaboration and support of local and international NGOs,” he said.
