Gombe: No fewer than 390 repentant Boko Haram members graduated from the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) programme in Gombe State. Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, announced this during the graduation ceremony held in Malam Sidi in Kwami Local Government Area. The graduands joined the programme in July 2024 and participated in activities designed to prepare them for reintegration into society.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Gen. Musa, represented by Maj.-Gen. Sunday Makollo, highlighted the positive impact of the Federal Government’s non-kinetic approach on military operations in the Northeast. He emphasized the army’s commitment to addressing security challenges and promoting peace and security in the country. He encouraged the graduates to become peace agents in their communities and warned against violating their oath and allegiance to Nigeria.
Col. Abiodun Johnson, Commandant of the DRR Camp, Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), explained that the group included six foreigners and 384 Nigerians who had been rehabilitated. The clients hailed from various states, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe, among others. The foreign clients came from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Republic. Johnson noted that the programme provided training in skills such as welding, tailoring, carpentry, and electrical repairs to facilitate their reintegration and discourage a return to crime.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling insecurity. She praised the armed forces’ comprehensive approach to combating terrorism and violent extremism and commended President Bola Tinubu for expanding the OPSC to include a DRR camp in Zamfara State. Represented by Air Cdr. Abang Oyong, Umar donated food and non-food items to the graduates to support their transition.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that each graduate received a starter pack tailored to their training and N50,000. The donations included essential items such as rice, maize, vegetable oil, seasoning, tomato paste, iodised salt, towels, plastic plates, and spoons, intended to aid their seamless reintegration into society.