About 2,167 rehabilitated Boko Haram members have graduated from the Nigerian government’s Operation Safe Corridor’s (OPSC) Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme.
Mr Audu Ayuba, the Assistant Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, National Orientation Agency (NOA), said this on Friday at a capacity building workshop for staff members of the agency.
The workshop was on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), and Disengagement, Disassociation, Reintegration and Reconciliation (DDRR) in Abuja.
Ayuba, who presented a paper titled “Overview of Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC),” stated that there were 2,140 Nigerians and 27 foreigners from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger among the 2,167 trainees.
“Since the inception of the OPSC DRR programme, 2,167 clients have graduated comprising 2,140 Nigerians and 27 foreigners (Cameroun, Chad and Niger).
“They were successfully handed over to their national and state authorities for reintegration. The programme was accepted by the state governments, community leaders and people of the North-East.
“This was achieved due to continuous community sensitisation visits to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states by the OPSC with the help of technical partners and visits by the state delegates to DRR camp to see their indigenes.
“There is increased support from development partners and NGOs, both national and international partners such as International Organisation for Migration, Centre for Democracy and Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, Swiss Embassy, etc.”
The NOA director stated that as a result of the stakeholders’ strategic communication on DDRR, PCVE, and OPSC, more clients had been accepted in their communities and the level of stigma had decreased.
He continued: “There is an increase in the number of new admissions for the DRR programme.
“More recently, more than 100,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have surrendered to the Borno Government due to peace dialogue initiative with the insurgents.
“The DRR camp graduated 559 clients on March 25, 2023. More hostels with a capacity of 1,500 clients have been built, and the program has received international recognition, as evidenced by delegations from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and some foreign institutions studying it.
“Furthermore, the United Nation’s Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, visited the DRR camp in Gombe on 30 June, 2021,’’ he said.
Ayuba further stated that the clients received vocational training in areas such as barbering, carpentry, cosmetology, farming, leather works, tailoring, cap weaving/embroidery, and welding.
According to him, all clients are required to engage in farming in addition to any other trade of their choice.
“Some proposed vocational activities that are awaiting approval by partners include: photography, block making, bread/pastry making, driving and maintenance, food processing, painting, plumbing and repair of basic technological devices such as phones and radios,” he added.
While speaking, the Director-General, NOA, Dr Garba Abari, said that OPSC was an initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to encourage willing and repentant Boko Haram (BH) insurgents to surrender and embrace peace.
“From 2009, when the Boko Haram insurgency started, to date, many lives have been lost, tens of thousands of people displaced, Nigeria and Nigerians suffered economically, socially, politically, culturally and above all suffered serious security challenges leaving citizens in fear.
“The activities of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) members in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria were major concerns to the government and people of Nigeria as well as international community.”