The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expressed its support for Operation Safe Corridor (OSC), a federal government initiative aimed at deradicalising, rehabilitating, and reintegrating repentant insurgents. This commitment was made on May 2 when Yusuf Ali, the OSC coordinator, and his team visited the NOA headquarters in Abuja.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, the NOA director-general, received the delegation and acknowledged the “widespread misinformation” surrounding OSC. He shared that he previously had reservations about the programme due to limited understanding but now recognises its objectives and logic. “The programme is essential for national peace and security,” Issa-Onilu stated.
He also emphasised that many beneficiaries of the programme were not ideological extremists but victims of abduction, coercion, or manipulation during insurgent occupation in the northeast. He highlighted the importance of community-based reintegration, stressing that without local and governmental support, many former insurgents remain isolated and vulnerable.
Issa-Onilu praised the efforts of military and security agencies, calling for increased public education to counter negative narratives and promote national unity. In his remarks, Ali reiterated the need to tackle insecurity through both kinetic and non-kinetic measures. He expressed concern about the stigma and misinformation that impede reintegration and national cohesion. Ali also noted that the programme has been running for nearly a decade with support from UN agencies, state governments, traditional rulers, and religious institutions.
