NOA declares support for reintegration of repentant B’Haram members into society

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), has expressed its support for the efforts of the Federal Government through the Operation Safe Corridor (OSC) of the Nigerian Army in the deradicalisation and reintegration of repentant Boko Haram fighters and reintegrating them into the society.

The Director General of the agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who gave the body’s support to the initiative on Sunday during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the OSC in Abuja, said the deradicalisation and reintegration of the ex-combatants, particularly those formerly associated with Boko Haram, was in the best interest of the country in ensuring peace returns to the communities.

Issa-Onilu who pledged further support for the OSC, said it was time Nigerians reframed their perception of the programme and understood its importance to long-term peace and national security.

He emphasized that many of the participants in the programme were not ideologically radicalised insurgents but people abducted, manipulated, or coerced during the years of insurgency in the North-East.

Warning of stigmatization and misinformation being the biggest threat to the programme, the NOA DG said:

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“If society fails to accept them back, we risk pushing them toward re-radicalisation. We warn against stigma and misinformation which remain the biggest threats to the programme’s success.”

Issa-Onilu commended the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies for their continued sacrifices, calling their efforts underappreciated and often misunderstood, adding that the agency would leverage its nationwide grassroots network to promote a better understanding of OSC’s objectives.

The coordinator of the OSC, Brig.-Gen. Yusuf Ali who led the delegation, briefed the NOA on the phased structure of the programme, which includes screening, rehabilitation, and reintegration, and called for the agency’s support in reshaping public narratives around its goals and beneficiaries.

Ali explained that the programme had been in operation since 2016, in partnership with United Nations agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, and called for more accurate storytelling and public education to dispel myths and promote national healing.

“Rehabilitation is not about condoning crimes. It’s about breaking the cycle of violence,” Ali said.

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