Repentant terrorists will still face prosecution — FG

THE Federal Government has launched a set of standard operating procedures to guide the implementation of its disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme for repentant terrorists.

Speaking in Abuja at the national validation workshop on the SOPs for DDR, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, NCTC, Mr Adamu Laka, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, said the procedures would promote transparency, accountability and coordination of repentant terrorists.

The workshop also validated state-level SOPs for the pilot states of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara.

Laka said the procedures were developed after extensive consultations and drew from Nigeria’s experience, international best practices and the country’s security realities.

He said: “Recognising that a policy framework alone is insufficient to guide implementation, the National Counter Terrorism Centre and its partners subsequently developed a comprehensive set of standard operating procedures to translate the strategic objectives of the national DDR framework into practical guidance for implementing institutions.”

He added that the SOPs would clarify institutional responsibilities, strengthen inter-agency collaboration, standardise operational processes and ensure that DDR programmes comply with human rights principles and the rule of law.

Laka described the DDR as a key element of Nigeria’s non-kinetic approach to tackling insecurity, noting that military operations alone cannot deliver lasting peace.

He said: “These standard operating procedures have been developed through extensive consultations and draw upon national experiences, international best practices, and the unique realities of the Nigerian context.

“They are intended to clarify institutional mandates and responsibilities, strengthen inter-agency coordination, standardise operational procedures, and ensure that DDR programmes are implemented professionally, effectively, and in full compliance with human rights principles and the rule of law.”

He added that participants identified terrorism, violent extremism, armed banditry, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, organised crime and separatist violence as evolving threats requiring coordinated responses.

Laka said: “The inclusion of state-specific standard operating procedures is particularly significant. These states continue to face distinct and evolving security challenges that require locally driven and well-coordinated responses.”

Also speaking, the Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the NCTC, Abimbola Woñosikou, said the SOPs were developed to provide a coordinated national response to terrorism, violent extremism, banditry and other forms of armed violence.

Woñosikou said: “These efforts culminated in the development of the draft national DDR framework and strategy, and subsequently, the standard operating procedures, which have been prepared by a multidisciplinary team of experts and are before us today for review and validation.

“The validation of these SOPs represents another significant milestone in Nigeria’s DDR journey. It demonstrates the country’s commitment to building a nationally owned, coordinated and accountable DDR system capable of supporting sustainable peace, preventing recidivism, strengthening community resilience and contributing to long-term national stability.”