The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced on Monday that 800 former Boko Haram fighters who surrendered to the military are currently undergoing a deradicalisation program to facilitate their reintegration into society. Maj.-Gen. Emeka Onumajuru, the Chief of Defence Operations, shared this information during an interview.
According to Maj.-Gen. Onumajuru, one year is a sufficient timeframe to reorient and reintegrate these ex-terrorists. While approximately 129,000 Boko Haram members have surrendered, only 800 carefully selected individuals are participating in the rehabilitation and reintegration initiative known as Operation Safe Corridor.
He explained, “To clarify, we currently have about 129,000 surrendered Boko Haram members and their families. As a professional army, when an opponent surrenders in combat, we accept their surrender and allow legal processes to follow. Some individuals are currently in detention facilities, while others are in Kainji, where a special court evaluates their cases. Those found guilty face legal consequences, while those eligible for deradicalisation undergo a process that typically lasts about a year.” When asked about the feasibility of deradicalising terrorists and reintegrating them into society within one year, the military officer responded, “It is possible because the deradicalisation is conducted by professionals.
This one-year period is adequate, depending on the expertise of those overseeing the deradicalisation process. The number of individuals involved is not large. While we have 129,000 Boko Haram members and their families, only 800 are currently undergoing the program, and they have gone through a thorough legal process before being admitted to the centre.”
He emphasized that a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies is essential for Nigeria to succeed in its asymmetric warfare against insurgents. “The deradicalisation conducted by Operation Safe Corridor is part of the non-kinetic approach. You can’t win an asymmetric war using only kinetic methods,” he stated.
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