We’re Starving Terrorists of Foot Soldiers – OPSC Coordinator

Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor (OPSC), Brigadier General Yusuf Ali has described the initiative as a vital “non-kinetic” weapon in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency, revealing that the programme has successfully shrunk the recruitment pipeline for terrorist groups.

​Speaking at the 2026 first-quarter media briefing on military operations, Gen. Ali addressed common misconceptions about the programme, emphasizing that it is designed specifically for low-risk individuals who were often victims of the conflict themselves.

​Gen. Ali credited the relative peace currently enjoyed in major hubs like Abuja to the success of Operation Safe Corridor in denying insurgents the foot soldiers needed to carry out attacks.

​”It is not the hardcore Boko Haram members that carry those bombs,” Ali stated. “It is the small boys they recruit while the leaders stay in the bush and live like kings.

By making it difficult to lie to and recruit gullible Nigerians, we have significantly reduced their ability to strike.”

​The Coordinator clarified that OPSC does not decide who enters the programme. Instead, a multi-agency screening process led by the Ministry of Justice separates “hardcore” combatants from “low-risk” individuals.

​The low-risk category includes those conscripted by force during the occupation of towns like Gwoza and Bama, or those kidnapped from ambushed vehicles.

​”The average hardcore member will not surrender; they are captured in combat and face the criminal justice system,” Ali explained.

“Those at our center are often victims who were forced to fetch water or perform menial tasks. We provide psychosocial therapy, de-radicalization, and vocational training in tailoring and furniture making to ensure they become productive citizens.”

​Responding to questions regarding the terminology used at the camp, Gen. Ali defended the use of the word “client” over “criminal” or “terrorist.”

He noted that in line with global best practices for peacebuilding, stigmatizing language is avoided to prevent psychological re-traumatization.

​”We don’t use words that remind them of the path they are struggling to change from,” he said.

​To address public concerns about recidivism, Gen. Ali revealed a “robust” monitoring and evaluation framework.

Every individual who passes through the “Corridor” is registered in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database.

​While the federal government handles the rehabilitation, the General noted that state governments are responsible for the actual reintegration into communities.

This process involves traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth heads who act as local monitors alongside the police and state security services.

​Addressing rumors of former “clients” returning to the bush, Gen. Ali dismissed the likelihood, citing the extreme danger to the defectors themselves.

​”If they go back to the bush, the terrorists will kill them, accusing them of being government spies sent to collect information. It is a lose-lose situation for them if they do not successfully integrate,” he said.

​Gen. Ali concluded by reminding Nigerians that Operation Safe Corridor is more than just a facility.

“I once told a visitor who couldn’t find the ‘corridor’ on a map: it is not a geographical entity; it is an idea an idea of peace and transitional justice.”