Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), Brigadier General Yusuf Ali has described the initiative as a vital non-kinetic weapon in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency, revealing that the programme has successfully shrunk the recruitment pipeline for terrorist groups.
Speaking at the 2026 first-quarter media briefing on military operations, Gen. Ali addressed common misconceptions about the programme, emphasizing that it is designed specifically for low-risk individuals who were often victims of the conflict themselves.
Gen. Ali credited the relative peace currently enjoyed in major hubs like Abuja to the success of Operation Safe Corridor in denying insurgents the foot soldiers needed to carry out attacks.
The Coordinator clarified that OPSC does not decide who enters the programme, instead, a multi-agency screening process led by the Ministry of Justice that separates hardcore combatants from low-risk individuals.
According to him, the low-risk category includes those conscripted by force during the occupation of towns like Gwoza and Bama as well as those kidnapped from ambushed vehicles.
Responding to questions regarding the terminology used at the camp, Gen. Ali defended the use of the word “client” over “criminal” or “terrorist.”
He noted that in line with global best practices for peacebuilding, stigmatizing language is avoided to prevent psychological re-traumatization.
To address public concerns about repented terrorists, Gen. Ali revealed a “robust” monitoring and evaluation framework noting that individuals who pass through the “Corridor” is registered in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database.
He said while the federal government handles the rehabilitation, state governments are responsible for the actual reintegration into communities through the use of traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth heads who act as local monitors alongside the police and state security services.
The OPSC Coordinator however, dismissed rumours of the likelihood of former “clients” returning to the bush by citing the extreme danger to the defectors themselves which including being perceived as government spies sent to collect information.
Gen. Ali concluded by reminding Nigerians that Operation Safe Corridor is more than just a facility but an idea of peace and transitional justice.
