The Digest:
No fewer than 117 repentant terrorists from Borno State have completed the Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme under Operation Safe Corridor at Mallam Sidi Camp, Defence Headquarters has announced. At a high-level stakeholders' meeting in Abuja, Operation Safe Corridor Coordinator Brig. Gen. Y. Ali disclosed that the graduates are now set for reintegration into communities. The programme has expanded to the North West, with a DRR camp established in Zamfara State last February. In the North Central, Benue State has formally requested the establishment of a DRR camp, with the Defence Headquarters assessing proposed sites. The meeting brought together federal ministries, state governments, neighbouring countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Cameroon), and international partners, including ICRC, IOM, Norway, UK, EU, and FCDO. Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Olufemi Oluyede emphasised that structured rehabilitation is essential to sustain security gains.
Key Points:
- The reintegration of 117 former fighters is critical to consolidating counter-insurgency gains.
- Expansion to the North West and Benue reflects growing demand for non-kinetic approaches.
- Communities gain a chance at peace, while ex-combatants receive livelihood support.
- This signals the military's commitment to a comprehensive stabilisation strategy.
- The timing, with international partners involved, demonstrates global support.
Sources: The Punch, Defence Headquarters
