The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expressed its commitment to supporting Operation Safe Corridor (OSC), a federal government initiative aimed at deradicalising, rehabilitating, and reintegrating repentant insurgents into society.
The pledge was made during a courtesy visit by OSC Coordinator Yusuf Ali and his team to the NOA headquarters in Abuja. During the meeting, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu acknowledged the widespread misinformation surrounding the initiative and admitted to having previously held reservations due to limited understanding of the programme.
In a statement shared via the agency’s official X account, Issa-Onilu said his perspective had shifted after engaging with OSC officials and gaining deeper insight into the programme’s rationale. He described OSC as a necessary component of national peacebuilding and security strategy, especially in regions affected by insurgency.
He explained that many of those enrolled in the programme were not ideological extremists but individuals who had been abducted, coerced, or misled during insurgent activities in the north-east. He stressed the need for strong community-based reintegration mechanisms, warning that without local and institutional support, many former insurgents would remain isolated and at risk of recidivism.
The NOA chief commended the military and other security agencies for their ongoing efforts to restore stability, while calling for broader public education to dispel falsehoods and strengthen national cohesion. He emphasized that correcting misconceptions and building community trust were vital to the programme’s long-term success.
In his remarks, Yusuf Ali highlighted the importance of using both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in addressing national insecurity. He voiced concern over the persistent stigmatisation of former insurgents and the misinformation that fuels public resistance to their reintegration.
Ali noted that Operation Safe Corridor, which has been operational for nearly a decade, continues to receive support from the United Nations, state governments, traditional leaders, and religious institutions. He reaffirmed the programme’s objective of contributing to sustainable peace and preventing future cycles of violence.
