Majeed Dahiru, a technical member of the Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, has strongly criticized the federal government’s “Safe Corridor” program, describing the initiative as a major strategic error in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency.…....
Appearing on Channels Television on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Dahiru argued that the policy of deradicalizing and reintegrating former Boko Haram members is fundamentally flawed. He maintained that the nature of religiously motivated conflict makes the prospect of genuine repentance nearly impossible.
The analyst insisted that the state must shift its focus from negotiation to the total elimination of those who have taken up arms against the sovereign integrity of the country.
“Safe corridor was not a good idea. It was a terrible idea and we said it from the beginning. You can’t negotiate with terrorists on home soil. Terrorists are to be eliminated,” Dahiru stated during the broadcast.
Responding to arguments that some insurgents were coerced into joining the group, Dahiru dismissed the claim, stating that Boko Haram relies on deep-seated indoctrination rather than force. He noted that the group’s internal trust levels are built on shared radical ideology.
“I can tell you for free that anybody that has crossed the red line of radicalization and indoctrination enough to pick up arms against the state can never ever repent. It’s not possible,” he added.
Dahiru urged the Nigerian government to exert its full military might to crush the insurgency once and for all. He warned that treating radicalized individuals as victims of coercion undermines the security forces and risks the long-term safety of the communities where these individuals are reintegrated.
The “Safe Corridor” program has long been a subject of intense national debate, with critics like Dahiru calling for a more decisive, military-led conclusion to the decade-long conflict.
