Operation SAFE CORRIDOR (OPSC) has dismissed as false and misleading allegations circulating in a viral video claiming that repentant and active Boko Haram members are being armed to fight alongside the Nigerian military.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the Coordinator of OPSC, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, clarified that the claims are entirely unfounded and do not reflect the mandate or operations of the programme.
Ali explained that while there are several de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration (DRR) initiatives run by state governments across Nigeria, such programmes operate independently and are not under the supervision of the Federal Government or Defence Headquarters. He stressed that individuals processed through those state-level initiatives are not part of the OPSC framework.
The coordinator further noted that the facility shown in the viral video is not an OPSC camp. According to him, the official OPSC DRR facility is located in Mallam Sidi, Gombe State, and functions within a secured and controlled military environment. He added that the structure and layout seen in the video do not match that of the OPSC camp.
Ali also refuted claims linking a Danish blogger, Jones Raw, to the programme, stating that neither the blogger nor the individuals featured in the video have ever been granted access to the OPSC facility.
Reiterating the mandate of the initiative, he described OPSC as a strictly non-kinetic, multi-agency programme focused on de-radicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of carefully screened individuals. He emphasised that participants are never armed, mobilised, or deployed for combat operations.
Upon completion of the programme, beneficiaries are handed over to relevant state authorities for reintegration and remain under monitoring frameworks, he added.
Ali highlighted that OPSC operates with the support of international partners, including the European Union, noting that such collaborations reinforce the programme’s adherence to global standards and transparency.
He warned that the spread of misinformation could undermine national security efforts and erode public confidence. To address the controversy, he invited the originator of the claims and other credible observers to undertake a guided visit to the OPSC camp in Mallam Sidi to independently verify its operations.
Operation SAFE CORRIDOR reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and its non-kinetic approach to promoting national security and sustainable peace.
