A total of 390 repentant Boko Haram members have successfully completed the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme at the Malam Sidi camp in Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The graduation ceremony, held on Thursday, April 17, was attended by top military and government officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who was represented by Maj.-Gen. Sunday Makollo. Musa described the event as a milestone in Nigeria’s non-kinetic approach to counter-insurgency efforts in the Northeast.
“These clients arrived in July 2024 and have undergone comprehensive rebuilding activities that have reshaped them for reintegration into society,” Gen. Musa said. “This approach is yielding positive results and complementing ongoing military operations.”
He reaffirmed the military’s dedication to restoring peace and stability across the country and urged the graduating participants to become peace ambassadors in their communities. Musa also warned them against violating their oath of allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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Commandant of the DRR Camp, Operation Safe Corridor, Col. Abiodun Johnson, disclosed that the graduates included six foreigners and 384 Nigerians from various states across the country.
A breakdown of the graduates by state shows that the majority—218—came from Borno State. Others hailed from Yobe (47), Bauchi (19), Kaduna (15), Kano (14), Adamawa (13), and several other states. Foreign nationals among them included one each from Cameroon and Chad, and four from Niger Republic.
Col. Johnson noted that the religious composition of the group includes 384 Muslims and six Christians, information he said is important for planning reintegration support.
During the DRR programme, the clients were trained in various vocational skills such as welding, tailoring, carpentry, bakery, laundry, and electrical work, among others. They also participated in counselling and peace education sessions, and each took an oath renouncing terrorism and pledging loyalty to Nigeria.
“The aim of this training is to provide them with sustainable skills, encourage positive societal reintegration, and prevent relapse into criminal activities,” Johnson stated.
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The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, who was represented by Air Commodore Abang Oyong, commended the armed forces for their multifaceted approach in addressing terrorism and thanked President Bola Tinubu for expanding the DRR initiative to other geopolitical zones.
Umar announced the donation of food and non-food items to support the reintegration of the graduates, which include 400 bags each of rice and maize, vegetable oil, seasonings, tomato paste, salt, towels, plastic plates and spoons.
Each graduate also received a starter pack based on their area of training and a cash grant of ₦50,000 to assist them as they begin a new chapter in civilian life.
The DRR programme, a component of the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor, continues to serve as a critical tool in the long-term strategy for combating terrorism through deradicalisation and social reintegration.
— NAN