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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), in collaboration with Operation SAFE CORRIDOR (OPSC), has convened a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to finalise modalities for the transfer of 117 rehabilitated clients from Borno State who have successfully completed the Disarmament, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) process at Mallam Sidi Camp.
Director, Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed in a press statement that the meeting focused on strengthening federal and state harmonisation in reception, monitoring and community reintegration of the clients to their respective national and state authorities.
According to the statement, the meeting brought together representatives of federal ministries, the Office of the National Security Adviser, state governments, and neighbouring countries including Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. International partners such as Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other development partners also participated.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Chairman of the OPSC National Steering Committee, General Olufemi Oluyede, represented by the Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Jamal Abdusalam, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to peacebuilding and national recovery.
The CDS described Operation SAFE CORRIDOR as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s security architecture, noting that while kinetic operations create the space for stabilisation, structured rehabilitation and reintegration help consolidate those gains and prevent the recycling of violence.
He explained that since its establishment in 2016, the programme has processed thousands of clients through a controlled and integrity-driven framework. He added that when properly screened and coordinated, surrender pathways degrade insurgent cohesion, generate actionable intelligence and support long-term stability.
Earlier, the Coordinator of Operation SAFE CORRIDOR, Brigadier General Y. Ali, expressed appreciation to the CDS for his leadership and institutional support, noting that the progress and expansion of the programme are anchored on enhanced jointness, improved welfare and sound administration under a whole-of-government framework.
He described OPSC as a multi-agency humanitarian stabilisation programme backed by the Constitution of Nigeria and relevant international humanitarian and human rights instruments, drawing personnel from 17 services, ministries, departments and agencies.
Brig Gen Ali stated that the programme has continued to evolve institutionally by strengthening screening mechanisms, refining ideological disengagement modules, improving psychosocial recovery systems and expanding inter-agency coordination. He stressed that the initiative remains structured and integrity-protected, with emphasis on accountability, behavioural change and sustainable reintegration outcomes.
Providing operational updates, the coordinator revealed that the 117 clients from Borno State have successfully completed the DRR process, reflecting strengthened collaboration between federal and state authorities in reception, monitoring and reintegration.
He also highlighted the expansion of Operation SAFE CORRIDOR to the North-West, where a DRR camp established in February last year marked a significant stabilisation milestone. He added that ongoing engagements with Zamfara State are aimed at recalibrating the facility towards a comprehensive Victim Healing, Rehabilitation and Reintegration framework that integrates psychosocial recovery, community reconciliation, livelihood support and structured monitoring.
In the North-Central region, he disclosed that Benue State has formally requested the establishment of a DRR camp. He said Defence Headquarters has assessed proposed sites and advised alignment with national infrastructure, security and sustainability standards before approval.
According to him, the stakeholders’ meeting is expected to clarify the roles of state authorities and MDAs, identify structured resettlement support frameworks, determine modalities for community sensitisation and camp visitation, and ratify graduation timelines for rehabilitated clients.
The engagement also featured updates on camp activities, briefs by participants, presentation of souvenirs and group photographs, reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to consolidating security gains through coordinated rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.
