Experts demand overhaul of Nigeria’s deradicalisation programme

Some defence experts have called for reforms to Nigeria’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme, saying stronger legal safeguards, community participation and support for victims are essential to achieving lasting peace.

The experts, Dr Sani Abubakar, a military scholar and defence expert, and Dr Steve Okwori, a defence analyst, made the call during interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

Abubakar said that it was imperative to ensure a stronger legal and institutional framework to improve the effectiveness of Operation Safe Corridor and other deradicalisation programmes.

He noted that though the deradicalosation programme had recorded measurable successes by encouraging defections and rehabilitating low-risk former combatants, it however required broader government ownership to achieve lasting impact.

According to him, the programme should move beyond military custodianship to involving justice institutions, psychologists, traditional rulers and affected communities in the reintegration process.

He identified weak post-reintegration monitoring, inadequate livelihood support and limited community acceptance as major challenges undermining the programme’s long-term effectiveness.

He also advocated a victims-first approach that balanced rehabilitation with justice through community reconciliation, stronger vetting mechanisms and sustained support for victims of insurgency.

“Reintegration should be conditional on good behaviour, community acceptance and effective monitoring to reduce the risk of recidivism,” he said.

Similarly, Okwori said the operation had encouraged defections and generated valuable intelligence for security agencies in spite of its mixed long-term outcomes.

He said that limited community acceptance, inadequate post-reintegration monitoring and concerns over justice for victims continued to weaken public confidence in the programme.

The scholar stressed that deradicalisation and reintegration should complement broader security and stabilisation efforts rather than serve as a substitute for military operations.

According to him, the greatest challenge is balancing rehabilitation with justice, as many affected communities remain concerned about recidivism and inadequate support for victims.

Okwori called for stronger risk assessment, community engagement, victim support and post-reintegration supervision to build public trust and improve the programme’s effectiveness.

“Sustainable peace will depend on addressing the concerns of victims while ensuring effective monitoring of reintegrated former combatants,” he emphasised.

(NAN)