Nigeria Senate Halts Terrorist Rehabilitation and Pardon Program

On July 7, the Nigerian Senate adopted a resolution calling for the suspension of the government’s rehabilitation, de‑radicalisation and reintegration programme for “repentant” terrorists. Senators, led by Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, argued that the policy enables insurgents to evade justice and has failed to curb violence, citing the recent abduction and murder of retired Major‑General Rabiu Abubakar in Katsina State.

The Senate urged the federal government to end pardons for Islamic terrorists, improve intelligence gathering, modernise surveillance, and enhance cooperation among security agencies, traditional leaders and communities. It also pledged to engage directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the issue. The contested programme, known as Operation Safe Corridor and launched in 2016, claims to have rehabilitated about 5,000 former Boko Haram fighters, while critics say roughly 10,000 pardoned militants have returned to insurgency after the monthly stipend ended.