“No Military Recruitment For Rehabilitated Ex-Boko Haram Combatants – Yusuf Ali”

Contrary to suggestions that the military is recruiting repentant insurgents into its ranks, Brigadier General Yusuf Ali, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, has firmly stated that no such recruitment has taken place.

According to iReporter Online, General Ali emphasized that the military’s recruitment process is highly structured, with strict eligibility criteria that leave no room for exceptions.

He further explained the workings of the operation, asserting that individuals with criminal backgrounds cannot be enlisted into the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

As the Commander of Operation Safe Corridor, can you provide an overview of the initiative?

Operation Safe Corridor was launched around 2015, soon after President Muhammadu Buhari took office.

According to iReporter Online, the president was determined to implement various strategies to lessen the threat from insurgents, moving beyond purely military force to include non-kinetic methods.

One such method was to offer a pathway for those less deeply involved in insurgency to surrender voluntarily, thereby diminishing the number of active fighters.

How do you differentiate between hardcore insurgents and those less committed?

Several local government areas in the Northeast, such as Madagali, Bama, and Gwoza, were previously under insurgent control. As military efforts reclaimed these territories, many insurgents fled but had forcibly conscripted local youths.

Many of these unwilling recruits escaped and surrendered to the military, who screened and interrogated them. Those found to be low-risk were rehabilitated, while hardcore ideologues were typically apprehended and prosecuted.

The operation focuses on rehabilitating low-risk individuals through vocational training, psychosocial therapy, and ideological counselling, followed by reintegration facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with community leaders.

According to iReporter Online, this process is carefully designed to support genuine reintegration and reduce recidivism.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”