2,167 repentant insurgents graduate from FG’s programme

No fewer than 2,167 repentant insurgents have graduated from the Operation Safe Corridor’s (OPSC) Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme, organised by the Federal Government, an official has said.

The Assistant Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Audu Ayuba, disclosed this at a capacity building workshop for officials of the agency in Abuja on Friday, May 12.

Ayuba, who presented a paper titled ‘Overview of Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC)’ said out of the 2,167 trainees, 2,140 were Nigerians and 27 foreigners from Cameroun, Chad, and Niger Republic.

He said: “Since the inception of the OPSC DRR programme, 2,167 clients have graduated comprising 2,140 Nigerians and 27 foreigners (Cameroun, Chad, and Niger).

“They were successfully handed over to their national and state authorities for reintegration. The programme was accepted by the state governments, community leaders and people of the North-East.

“This was achieved due to continuous community sensitisation visits to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states by the OPSC with the help of technical partners and visits by the state delegates to DRR camp to see their indigenes.

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“There is increased support from development partners and NGOs, both national and international partners such as International Organisation for Migration, Centre for Democracy and Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, Swiss Embassy, etc.”

The NOA director stated that more of the clients had been accepted in their communities, adding that the level of stigmatisation had reduced due to the strategic communication on DDRR, PCVE, and OPSC carried out by the stakeholders.

Ayuba said: “There is an increase in the number of new admissions for the DRR programme.

“More recently, more than 100,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have surrendered to the Borno Government due to peace dialogue initiative with the insurgents.

“The DRR camp graduated 559 clients on March 25, 2023.

“There have been construction of more hostel accommodation with capacity for 1,500 clients, the programme has also received international recognition as witnessed by the visits of delegations from Cameroun, Chad, Niger, and some foreign institutions to study it.

“Furthermore, the United Nation’s Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, visited the DRR camp in Gombe on 30 June, 2021.”

Ayuba noted that the clients were exposed to vocational training of their choice, which included barbing, carpentry, cosmetology, farming, leather works, tailoring, cap weaving/embroidery, and welding.

He said farming was made compulsory to all the clients in addition to any trade of their choice.

“Some proposed vocational activities that are awaiting approval by partners include photography, block making, bread/pastry making, driving and maintenance, food processing, painting, plumbing and repair of basic technological devices such as phones and radios,” Ayuba added.

Also speaking at the event, the NOA Director-General, Dr Garba Abari, said OPSC was an initiative of the Federal Government to encourage willing and repentant Boko Haram insurgents to surrender and embrace peace.

The Star