Yobe State is set to reintegrate hundreds of ex-Boko Haram members who have completed their rehabilitation under the national Operation Safe Corridor program.
Governor Mai Mala Buni made the announcement on Thursday during a meeting with a delegation led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, in Damaturu.
Reflecting on the havoc caused by the insurgency, Buni said the region has suffered immense human and material losses.
He noted that while some individuals willingly joined Boko Haram, others were coerced or brainwashed, underscoring the need for peaceful, non-military solutions to end the crisis.
He pledged his administration’s full support for Operation Safe Corridor’s strategies and commended President Bola Tinubu for taking a broad, multi-pronged approach to ending violent extremism in Northern Nigeria.
According to Buni, the state is ready to reintegrate 390 rehabilitated ex-combatants 54 of them natives of Yobe who are set to complete the DRR program between April 14 and 19.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management will coordinate their transition back into civilian life.
General Musa stressed the significance of community engagement, warning that rehabilitation doesn’t end at graduation.
He urged the state to expand its infrastructure for de-radicalization and vocational training, saying, “Visible success stories can encourage others to lay down their arms.”