NOA Pledges Support for Operation Safe Corridor to Reintegrate Repentant Insurgents

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has committed to bolstering Operation Safe Corridor (OSC), a Federal Government initiative aimed at deradicalizing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating repentant insurgents, primarily former Boko Haram members, in Nigeria’s North-East. The pledge was made during a courtesy visit by OSC Coordinator Brigadier-General Yusuf Ali and his team to the NOA’s headquarters in Abuja on May 2, 2025. This partnership signals a renewed effort to reshape public perceptions and foster national unity amid ongoing security challenges.

NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu, addressing the delegation, admitted to prior skepticism about OSC due to widespread misinformation. In a statement shared on the agency’s X page, he noted, “I had reservations about the programme due to limited understanding, but now I appreciate its objectives and logic.” Issa-Onilu described OSC as vital for national peace and security, emphasizing that many beneficiaries were not ideological extremists but victims of abduction, coercion, or manipulation during insurgent occupations in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. He underscored the need for community-based reintegration, warning that without local and government support, ex-insurgents risk isolation and recidivism.

The OSC, operational since 2016, employs a non-kinetic approach, offering psychological counseling, religious reorientation, civic education, and vocational training to prepare participants for reintegration. Ali highlighted the program’s phased structure—screening, rehabilitation, and reintegration—and its collaboration with UN agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, and religious leaders. However, he expressed concern over stigmatization and misinformation, which undermine community acceptance and national cohesion. Recent data from the Defence Headquarters indicates that of 129,000 surrendered insurgents and families, 800 are currently undergoing deradicalization, with 230 recently reintegrated in Borno State after completing the program in Gombe.

Issa-Onilu pledged to leverage NOA’s grassroots network to educate the public and counter negative narratives, commending the military’s efforts in combating the 15-year Boko Haram insurgency, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million. Posts on X echoed this sentiment, with users like @fattylincorn_01 noting NOA’s role in reframing OSC’s narrative. As Nigeria grapples with resurgent attacks—evidenced by a January 2025 assault in Borno killing 40 farmers—this collaboration aims to strengthen non-kinetic strategies, promote healing, and ensure that rehabilitated individuals contribute positively to society, fostering a path toward lasting peace.