The federal government said it is expanding its reintegration programme under Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC) to rebuild trust and promote peace in conflict-affected communities across the country.

The coordinator of OPSC, Yusuf Ali, disclosed this on Thursday at a high-level donor and stakeholder meeting organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja.

Mr Ali said the reintegration programme, originally focused on low-risk ex-combatants, has evolved to include host communities to foster reconciliation and long-term stability.

He explained that many of the individuals classified as “clients” were victims of abduction and coercion by insurgents, and not ideologues or masterminds behind the violence.

He said, “OPSC is no longer focused solely on clients. We now actively include host communities in our reintegration strategy, because without community acceptance, reintegration is incomplete. Some were forcibly taken from their homes or highways. Others were handed over by their parents under duress. These are Nigerians caught in a conflict they never asked for.’’

The OPSC coordinator added that through rigorous screening, such individuals had been separated from high-risk elements who are being prosecuted through the criminal justice system.

He lamented the growing stigma faced by rehabilitated ex-combatants despite undergoing a structured process of deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR).

According to him, if society refuses to accept or empower them, they are subjecting them to a second punishment, describing such situation as double jeopardy.

Mr Ali thanked local and international partners for their continued support, highlighting recent collaborations with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

He described the recent partnership with IITA as a “breakthrough,” saying it would support livelihood opportunities for both ex-combatants and members of host communities through skills training and agricultural value chains.

He said, “IITA looked beyond the stigma and saw opportunity. This partnership will empower communities and reinforce national peacebuilding efforts.”

Mr Ali reaffirmed that OPSC remains a key component of Nigeria’s Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) strategy, serving as the operational arm responsible for implementation at the grassroots level.

He appealed for sustained donor support and collaboration to consolidate the gains of the programme.

He stated, “With your continued support, we can do more. We must do more. These are Nigerians who deserve the opportunity to start over. Let us not fail them.’’

Operation Safe Corridor was launched in 2016 to provide a non-kinetic approach to addressing insurgency through the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant ex-combatants.

The high-level meeting brought together stakeholders from government, development partners, civil society, and the private sector.

(NAN)