The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has intensified criticism of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) following revelations that over 300,000 insurgents surrendered between 2016 and 2025, with 2,615 processed through the Federal Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration initiative, Operation Safe Corridor.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the Association, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group described the programme as ill-conceived and potentially dangerous, warning that it could be undermining national security rather than strengthening it.
HURIWA argued that the reintegration framework risks reintroducing former fighters into society without robust monitoring systems, thereby creating avenues for infiltration and possible compromise of sensitive security operations.
The association also revisited lingering allegations that some ex-combatants linked to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province may have found their way into the Nigerian military—claims consistently denied by authorities but, according to the group, too persistent to ignore.
It maintained that public confidence can only be restored through transparency, urging the military to open up its recruitment processes for independent verification.
HURIWA further criticised what it sees as a disproportionate focus on rehabilitating ex-insurgents, with insufficient attention given to victims and communities devastated by years of violence. It warned that the programme could become a “backdoor channel” for radical elements to re-enter both civilian life and security institutions.
Calling for urgent action, the group urged the Federal Government to suspend Operation Safe Corridor and initiate a far-reaching review of its structure and implementation.
It also advocated the establishment of an independent investigative panel comprising civil society actors, security experts, and international observers to probe the programme and examine recruitment trends within the armed forces, particularly since the era of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to HURIWA, only a transparent and accountable process can rebuild public trust and ensure that national security policies do not inadvertently empower the threats they are designed to eliminate.
The group reiterated its call for either a complete overhaul or outright scrapping of the initiative, cautioning that failure to act decisively could deepen Nigeria’s security challenges.
HURIWA Slams DHQ Reintegration Scheme, Raises Alarm Over Alleged Security Risks
