EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Govt Paid N1.2Billion To Gombe For NYSC Camp Used To ‘Rehabilitate’ Boko Haram Fighters

Operation Safe Corridor is a Federal Government initiative designed to ‘deradicalise, rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant Boko Haram fighters’.

The Federal Government disbursed a total of N1.2 billion to the Gombe State Government as compensation for the takeover of the state’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, which was repurposed for the rehabilitation of “repentant” Boko Haram members under Operation Safe Corridor.

Payment records indicate that the transaction was executed on March 3, 2022, through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. The funds were paid into the Gombe State FAAC account.

The payment, totalling N1,200,000,000.00, was described as “being release of fund to Gombe State Government as compensation for the value of the existing state NYSC camp occupied by Operation Safe Corridor for deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme, as per AIE No. A01-00007803.”

Operation Safe Corridor is a Federal Government initiative designed to ‘deradicalise, rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant Boko Haram fighters’.

Findings show that the Gombe NYSC camp was selected and subsequently occupied to serve as a key facility for the programme, necessitating compensation to the state government for the use of its infrastructure.

The payment reference linked to the transaction further confirms the Federal Government’s formal approval and execution of the fund release, with documentation citing the specific administrative authorization (AIE No. A01-00007803) tied to the disbursement.

A review of Borno State’s budget spending shows that about N7.7 billion was spent on the rehabilitation and reintegration of “repentant” Boko Haram members over a 21-month period, even as insurgent attacks continue across the state.

Findings from the 2025 full-year budget performance document show that N4.3 billion was spent on “livelihood support for Repentant Boko Haram members” in 2025 alone. Of this amount, N1.6 billion was disbursed between October and December, reflecting a significant surge in spending within a three-month period.

The figure adds to an earlier N3.45 billion reportedly spent between January and September 2024 under the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, bringing the total expenditure within the period under review to approximately N7.7 billion.

While the state spent these amounts to rehabilitate ‘repentant’ Boko Haram members, bombings and killings are yet to be stopped.

On the evening of Monday, March 16, 2026, Maiduguri was plunged into chaos when three suicide bombers detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at separate locations across the city.

The blasts occurred at the Maiduguri Monday Market, the Post Office Flyover area, and near the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital gate.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as explosions ripped through crowded areas, sending people fleeing in all directions. Emergency services rushed to the sites, but the scale of the devastation was overwhelming.

Twenty-three people were confirmed dead, while 108 others sustained injuries ranging from minor wounds to life-threatening trauma. Hospitals across the city were inundated with victims, and medical staff worked through the night to stabilise the injured. 

The Borno State Police Command quickly confirmed the casualty figures, noting that investigations were underway to determine the perpetrators and the full circumstances surrounding the attacks.