The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday, March 26, clarified that the military’s rehabilitation programme, Operation Safe Corridor (OPWS), is only targeted at low-risk repentant terrorists.
The clarification followed public interpretation of remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Olufemi Oluyede, at the inaugural lecture of the newly established Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre (JDWC), held in Abuja on March 24, where he advocated for the rehabilitation of terrorists over their execution.
According to a statement issued by the DHQ’s spokesperson, Samaila Uba, Oluyede’s remarks were made within the context of a professional military doctrine lecture.
The DHQ noted that providing a window of reflection for surrendered terrorists is a strategic non-kinetic tool designed to weaken terrorist structures, gather intelligence, and break the cycle of recruitment.
“The comments by the CDS were made within the context of a professional military doctrine lecture, emphasizing the importance of multi-dimensional conflict resolution.
“His remarks highlighted global best practices where rehabilitation complements battlefield successes, not replaces them.
“Any attempt to frame these remarks as sympathy for terrorists is a gross misinterpretation,” the statement read.
The DHQ explained that the initiative is not an amnesty scheme but a structured deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration programme designed to support national security objectives while reducing the pool of individuals vulnerable to extremist influence.
It noted that participants admitted into the programme are carefully profiled and assessed to ensure that only those who no longer pose a security threat are enrolled.
According to the DHQ, this process is part of a broader counter-insurgency strategy that combines both kinetic military operations and non-kinetic interventions.
The DHQ reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to neutralizing active terrorists and protecting law-abiding citizens, with aggressive operations ongoing across multiple theatres of conflict.
It added that the rehabilitation programme aligns with global best practices in conflict resolution, where deradicalisation and reintegration are used as complementary tools to battlefield engagements, not substitutes for them.
The DHQ urged the public to disregard misleading interpretations of the programme and to rely on official channels for accurate information on military operations and national security efforts.
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