The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has emphasized the importance of reintegrating repentant Boko Haram fighters into society for national peace and security.
The agency’s Director-General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, made the statement during a courtesy visit from the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor (OSC), Yusuf Ali.
Issa-Onilu acknowledged that many of the program’s beneficiaries were victims of abduction, coercion, or manipulation during insurgent occupation in the North-East, rather than ideological extremists.
He stressed the need for community-based reintegration, citing the importance of local and government support to prevent isolation and vulnerability.
The NOA boss lauded the military and security agencies for their efforts and called for increased public education to counter negative narratives and promote national unity.
Ali, on his part, highlighted the need for a multi-faceted approach to address insecurity, including kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
Operation Safe Corridor, a federal government initiative, aims to deradicalize, rehabilitate, and reintegrate repentant insurgents, with support from UN agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, and religious institutions.
