The Defence Headquarters has dismissed allegations suggesting that repentant terrorists are being secretly recruited into the Nigerian military, describing the claims as false and misleading.
Military authorities insist that recruitment into the Armed Forces remains strictly regulated and that individuals with criminal records are automatically disqualified.
Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, gave the clarification during a briefing in Abuja, where he addressed public concerns surrounding the rehabilitation programme for former insurgents.
He stressed that the initiative is not a recruitment pathway, but a structured deradicalisation and reintegration process for individuals who voluntarily surrender or escape from terrorist groups.
According to him, Nigeria’s security forces operate a strict screening system that classifies participants into low, medium, and high-risk categories before any rehabilitation is considered.
He explained that only low-risk individuals, those deemed to have no prosecutable offences, are admitted into the programme.
Participants undergo counselling, deradicalisation, and vocational training aimed at helping them reintegrate into civilian life.
The military noted that those involved in serious crimes are excluded from the programme and handed over for prosecution where necessary.
Brigadier General Ali reaffirmed that Operation Safe Corridor is designed to support peacebuilding efforts and prevent further radicalisation, not to integrate ex-fighters into the armed forces.
He added that the Armed Forces maintain a clear and transparent recruitment process that cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
