The Nigerian government has denied claims that repentant Boko Haram members are being enlisted into the military.
The Coordinator of the Special Reintegration programme for the militants code named – Operation Safe Corridor – Bamidele Shafa, said this in Abuja while presenting a report on the activities of the operation.
There have been public fears that former Boko Haram members, who have passed through the Operation Safe Corridor programme may still have links to the deadly group.
This became heightened after the Gombe State government demanded that their camp be moved away from the state.
But the Coordinator has debunked the claim, saying over 280 have been successfully integrated into the society and are useful members of the community.
In 2015, the Federal Government of Nigeria established Operation Safe Corridor which eventually took off in 2016, to re-integrate repentant Boko Haram members, but recently, there were reports in some sections of the media that the Nigerian Army is recruiting some of the graduates into the service.
The rehabilitation programme for former Boko Haram militants comes with its own complexities which have touched on the sensibilities of some Nigerians, especially in the context of their social integration.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, also pledged to complement the activities of the programme especially the re-integration of minors and women.
According to available records, 1,000 members have surrendered to the programme and 600 are currently under screening and orientation in the camp.
