By Sarafina Christopher, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
In many communities across Nigeria’s North-East, villages once emptied by violence are slowly rebuilding; markets have reopened in some areas, and families displaced for years are returning home.
In these societies, the sound of gunfire is fading, but peace remains obscure.
Along with rebuilding, there is the challenging process of reintegrating and coexisting with individuals who were previously part of insurgent groups or controlled areas.
For residents across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, the reintegration of former insurgents is not an abstract policy debate; it is deeply personal, emotional, and often uneasy.
A traditional leader in Borno, who requested anonymity, said communities continued to carry the scars of conflict even as they were being asked to support reconciliation.
“We are playing a crucial role in supporting the reintegration of former insurgents and promoting peaceful coexistence.
“We create awareness in our communities and encourage them to welcome back those who have gone through the process.
“We engage the people to foster understanding and forgiveness; we manage conflict and promote peace.”
He also acknowledged persistent fears.
“We still worry that if they are not properly coordinated, some may return to the bush,” he said.
That tension between hope and anxiety lies at the heart of Operation Safe Corridor. This Federal Government initiative focuses on the deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of low-risk former insurgents who surrender voluntarily.
As Nigeria continues to confront the long-term consequences of insurgency, policymakers have increasingly adopted non-kinetic strategies alongside military operations to address the drivers of violent extremism.
Supporters describe it as a pragmatic peace-building intervention that offers a pathway out of violence and helps weaken extremist networks from within.
Nonetheless, critics question its safeguards, the adequacy of reintegration measures, and whether communities and victims are being asked to bear too much risk.
Agha Omaka, Programmes Officer, Operation Safe Corridor, said the programme began with voluntary surrender, which was central to its legal and operational framework.
“The journey of a client begins with voluntary surrender, and that distinction is very important.”
He explained that those who surrendered underwent screening and profiling by military and civilian intelligence agencies.
“Their identities, backgrounds, level of involvement and potential security concerns are assessed before any further step is taken.
“Operation Safe Corridor does not determine who enters the programme; only those cleared through the legal process are recommended.’’
He said that the legal process was overseen by the Federal Ministry of Justice, which determined eligibility and whether an individual should instead face prosecution or other security procedures.
Omaka said those admitted were then moved into a structured rehabilitation phase that included psychosocial support, counselling, vocational training, religious reorientation and behavioural assessment.
“Participants are later handed over to state governments for reintegration into communities.
“They are not simply released. Reintegration is gradual and involves state authorities, traditional institutions, community structures and monitoring frameworks,” Omaka said.
In his submission, Mr Dengiyefa Angalapu, Research Analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa), said misinformation had shaped public perceptions of the initiative.
“One common misconception is that the military is recruiting ex-combatants into the Nigerian Army; that is virtually impossible considering the layers of recruitment screening and community attestation required.’’
According to him, another misconception is that Operation Safe Corridor serves only perpetrators while victims are ignored.
“It is important to understand that Safe Corridor is one component within a wider institutional framework.
“Other agencies were expected to support victims, humanitarian recovery and reconstruction.”
Angalapu noted that Operation Safe Corridor comprised multiple ministries, departments and agencies, each with distinct responsibilities ranging from rehabilitation and security screening to humanitarian support and public sensitisation.
According to him, public dissatisfaction may partly reflect uneven performance across that wider system rather than the deradicalisation component alone.
“For such a programme to work effectively, all participating institutions must do the work assigned to them; they should not remain nominal members.”
He argued that one of the programme’s major weaknesses might be communication rather than secrecy.
“Many people do not understand how low-risk classification works or the role of the Joint Investigation Committee involving security agencies and the Ministry of Justice,” he said.
In many affected communities, residents remember relatives killed, children abducted, farms abandoned and years spent in displacement camps.
For survivors, the return of former associates of armed groups can reopen painful memories.
Experts argue that reintegration must be matched by a stronger peace- building architecture.
The Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr Joseph Ochogwu, said programmes like Operation Safe Corridor reflected an important recognition that force alone could not solve insurgency.
“The Nigerian Government realised you cannot go all the way kinetic. There has to be a softer approach.”
He described the initiative as commendable but argued that reconciliation must be treated as a core pillar rather than an afterthought.
“Peace-building requires expertise in confidence-building, reconciliatory processes and restoring trust.”
According to him, several forms of reconciliation are necessary: between communities and returnees, between citizens and the state, and in some cases, between civilians and security institutions operating in conflict areas.
“Reconciliation is not just bringing people back. It is asking: people have been wronged, so how do we move forward?” he said.
A security analyst, Brig.-Gen. Yusuf Ali, said non-kinetic approaches were strategically valuable because insurgency is sustained by more than battlefield strength.
“Insurgency is not sustained only by armed fighters on the battlefield; it is sustained by recruitment systems, fear structures, indoctrination, social dislocation and economic desperation.”
He said one of the programme’s key achievements was creating a credible pathway for surrender.
“Once individuals begin to believe there is a lawful alternative to remaining in the bush, it reduces the aura of permanence around extremist groups.’’
He, however, cautioned that deradicalisation inside a facility was only one stage of a longer journey.
“If reintegration is poorly managed, the risks are significant.
“These include relapse into violence, reconstitution of networks, community backlash and loss of public trust,” he said.
Analysts say the true measure of Operation Safe Corridor begins after participants leave camp. Can they find work? Can they support families? Are communities prepared to receive them? Are victims receiving support of their own?
Programme officials say monitoring continues after reintegration through collaboration involving security agencies, community leaders and partners.
They also acknowledge challenges including funding gaps, misinformation, uneven state capacity and difficulties translating vocational training into stable livelihoods.
Questions also remain over long-term recidivism rates.
While officials maintain that relapse is limited, analysts say more independent research would help strengthen public confidence and provide clearer evidence on long-term outcomes.
A research by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa) provides insights.
The research indicates than more than 85 per cent of lower-level Boko Haram foot soldiers studied were forcibly conscripted, abducted or otherwise drawn into insurgent structures under coercive conditions, complicating assumptions that all returnees were hardened ideological actors.
Civil society organisations such as Neem Foundation and Search for Common Ground have also worked in psychosocial recovery, dialogue facilitation and community resilience, showing the wider role non-state actors can play in rebuilding trust after conflict.
Analysts say the real question is not whether deradicalisation alone can deliver lasting peace: it is whether Nigeria can build the broader justice, trust, opportunity, and reconciliation systems without which no peace can endure.
For concerned stakeholders, Operation Safe Corridor may offer one pathway out of violence–but lasting peace will depend on what happens beyond the camp gates. (NANFeatures)
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.
