The Defence Headquarters has revealed that 800 former Boko Haram fighters who surrendered to the military are currently undergoing deradicalization as part of efforts to reintegrate them into society.
Speaking on Channels TV Morning Brief on Monday, February 10, 2025, Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Emeka Onumajuru, stated that the rehabilitation process under Operation Safe Corridor typically lasts a year, which he believes is sufficient for reorientation and reintegration.
Onumajuru disclosed that a total of 129,000 Boko Haram fighters and their family members had surrendered so far, but only a select group had been approved for rehabilitation.
He emphasized that all individuals who surrender undergo legal scrutiny, with those found guilty of crimes facing prosecution, while others deemed fit for reintegration are placed in the deradicalization programme.
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“To get the numbers right, we currently have about 129,000 surrendered Boko Haram members and their families,” he said. “As a professional army, when an opponent surrenders in combat, we take them in and allow the legal process to take its natural course.”
He further explained that some of the surrendered individuals remain in detention facilities, including Kainji, while a special court reviews their cases. Only those who pass through the legal process without being found culpable are admitted into the deradicalisation programme.
“The number taken in is not huge. Out of the 129,000, only 800 are currently undergoing the deradicalization process, and they are placed in batches,” Onumajuru added.
The military’s rehabilitation and reintegration efforts continue to spark discussions on national security and the effectiveness of deradicalization programmes addressing the Boko Haram insurgency.
