FG Reunites Over 5000 Former Boko Haram Fighters with Families

5,000 Boko Haram Defectors Rejoin Their Families in FG Initiative

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that over 5,000 former Boko Haram fighters have completed the Operation Safe Corridor deradicalization program and have been reunited with their families.

Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, Head of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, stated that these individuals underwent a six-month rehabilitation process, acquiring skills to support themselves upon reintegration into their communities. She emphasized that none of the ex-combatants have returned to the battlefield since completing the program.

The Operation Safe Corridor initiative collaborates with the National Orientation Agency and engages traditional and religious leaders across Nigeria’s 774 local governments to monitor the progress of reintegrated individuals. This community-based approach aims to ensure successful reintegration and promote long-term peace.

Additionally, the “Borno Model,” a state-led strategy in Borno State, complements federal efforts by facilitating the reintegration of former extremists into society. Ambassador Abbas noted significant success with this model, highlighting its role in reuniting many repentant fighters with their families.