‘Operation Safe Corridor’ gets NOA’s backing
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has pledged strategic support for Operation Safe Corridor (OSC), a federal government initiative aimed at the deradicalization, rehabilitation, and reintegration of repentant ex-combatants—primarily former Boko Haram members—into society.
This commitment was announced during a courtesy visit by the Coordinator of OSC, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, and his team to the NOA headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, May 2, 2025.
Receiving the delegation, NOA Director General, Lanre Issa-Onilu acknowledged widespread misinformation surrounding the programme, describing it as a critical component of Nigeria’s peace and security architecture. He revealed that he had once shared in the skepticism toward the initiative due to a limited understanding of its goals, but now holds a renewed appreciation for its strategic value.
The DG clarified that many OSC beneficiaries were not hardened ideologues but individuals forcibly conscripted, abducted, or manipulated during insurgent occupations in the Northeast. He stressed the importance of community-based reintegration, warning that without grassroots and governmental support, rehabilitated individuals may remain isolated and vulnerable to re-radicalization.
He also commended the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their sustained efforts in managing the programme, lamenting the lack of public recognition and understanding they often receive. The DG called for increased public education to dispel myths, counter stigmatization, and foster national unity.
In his remarks, Brigadier General Ali emphasized the need for a collaborative national approach to addressing insecurity, involving both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies.
He outlined OSC’s structured, multi-phase process which includes profiling, screening, rehabilitation, and reintegration. The programme, he noted, has been operational for nearly a decade and enjoys support from United Nations agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, and religious institutions.
Despite these efforts, Gen. Ali expressed concern over persistent stigmatization and misinformation that threaten the success of reintegration efforts and broader national unity.
