Senate demands end to 'repentant' terrorist rehabilitation program

Nigeria's Senate has finally voiced national outrage over the government's policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating Boko Haram fighters, a program they argue has outlived its usefulness and undermines justice. The "Operation Safe Corridor" (OSC), initiated in 2016, was presented as a humane path away from insurgency but has frequently been criticized for circumventing justice.

The Senate contends that there is no reliable method to ascertain true repentance in terrorists, especially those indoctrinated from a young age. Even if remorse is genuine, it should not negate accountability. The proper sequence, they assert, involves investigation, prosecution, and then, if the law allows, mercy. This moral and operational failure leaves victims of Boko Haram's atrocities to accept the return of individuals linked to horrific crimes, deepening societal wounds rather than healing them.

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The country does not need a theatre of impunity dressed up as rehabilitation. It needs justice, deterrence and protection for the innocent.

Furthermore, the policy sends a dangerous message to potential recruits, suggesting that violence may lead to a lenient outcome, rehabilitation, and eventual release. In a nation already struggling with banditry and kidnapping, this could incite further bloodshed. The Senate also highlights public safety concerns, noting that debriefing does not equate to full deradicalization or trust, leaving communities to bear the risk and forcing victims to coexist with their former assailants.

The Senate's intervention is seen as crucial, urging the Federal Government to suspend the policy. They advocate for all surrendered fighters to undergo proper judicial processes, with clear distinctions made between coerced minors, low-level conscripts, and hardened criminals. Those guilty of atrocities must face lawful detention, due process, and accountability before any consideration of leniency. The Senate insists that Nigeria needs justice, deterrence, and protection for its innocent citizens, not an "impunity theater" disguised as rehabilitation. If the state cannot ensure that perpetrators of violence answer before the law, it is not securing peace but institutionalizing fear.

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Operation Safe Corridor must go!