The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed claims that terrorists or violent offenders are being enlisted into the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing such reports as false and misleading.
Speaking in Abuja, a senior military official involved in Operation Safe Corridor clarified that the military maintains strict recruitment standards that automatically exclude individuals with criminal records.
“We are not recruiting any killers into the army, and we can never do that,” the official stated.
The DHQ also rejected concerns that rehabilitated former insurgents are being secretly absorbed into military ranks, explaining that the programme is solely designed for de-radicalisation and reintegration into civilian life—not enlistment. Officials noted that participants are carefully screened and categorised, with only low-risk individuals—often those coerced into insurgent groups—eligible for rehabilitation.
According to the military, the initiative operates alongside the justice system, with high-risk or captured fighters prosecuted and, if found guilty, imprisoned. Authorities emphasised that the programme is intended to reduce recidivism and support long-term security, not to recycle former combatants into active service.
Reiterating its position, the DHQ stressed that the Armed Forces remain committed to professionalism and due process, urging the public to disregard what it described as unfounded narratives capable of undermining confidence in the military.
