Federal Government has pledged to ensure the total de-radicalisation and rehabilitation of all ex-Boko Haram members before re-integrating them into the society in line with international best practices.

Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, made the pledge on Tuesday in Abuja at a National Stakeholders’ Forum on Re-integration in the North-East organised by the `Kukah Centre.’

Olanisakin‎ said the operation was designed by the government as part of efforts to find lasting solution to the lingering crisis in the North-East.

Olanisakin who spoke through Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor,OPSC, Major-General Bamidele Shafa, said the OPSC was an initiative of the FGN which emanated from National Security Council meeting of September 2015, to encourage willing and repentant Boko Haram insurgents to surrender and embrace peace.

He said the primary objective of the operation was to facilitate easy access and passage for surrendering insurgents to security forces for subsequent De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Re-integration process,DRR.

Olanisakin said the ex-combatants would be made to go through a 16-week DRR programme, involving advanced profiling, therapies, counseling, capturing on National ID card data and vocational training, saying the OPSC as a joint multi-national and multi-agency humanitarian operation involved security agencies, NGOs and MDAs including NDLEA, NOA and NDE.

At the moment, there are 96 ex-combatants in camp (Gombe) while 565 women and children are being prepared to undergo a 12-week rehabilitation programme very shortly,’’ he said.‎
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Olonisakin said one major challenge for the programme was the notion in some quarters that the beneficiaries were being given undue favourable treatment at the expense of their victims, saying apathy to accept the ex-combatants back into the society after the DRR was another challenge.

He promised to continue to engage relevant stakeholders such as the Kukah centre, community, traditional and religious leaders in finding lasting peace in the North-East.
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Bishop, Sokoto Catholic Diocese and convener of the programme, Reverend Matthew Kukah said the forum was meant to develop a framework on continuous community engagement, reintegration and transitional justice in the North-East.
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He stressed the need for the provision of basic amenities and development of the local communities in the North-East and not just focus on the ex-combatants.

The two-day meeting is being attended by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Human Rights Commission, Nigeria Prisons Service, NGOs and USAID.