Human rights lawyer Maxwell Opara has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the Nigerian government’s policy of reintegrating former insurgents without subjecting them to prosecution.
Drivetvnews gathered that In the case filed on April 23, 2026, Opara named President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Army, and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants. He is asking the court to halt the ongoing deradicalisation and reintegration programme known as Operation Safe Corridor until the matter is fully determined.
The lawyer is also seeking an order compelling the Attorney-General to initiate criminal proceedings against more than 700 former insurgents who have reportedly been released back into society under the programme.
According to court documents, Opara argues that reintegrating individuals suspected of terrorism-related offences without trial violates Nigeria’s legal framework, including the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
He further questioned whether the release of such individuals without prosecution or conviction aligns with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly regarding due process and the rule of law.
Opara is asking the court to declare the reintegration process unlawful and unconstitutional, insisting that neither the Nigerian Army nor the Attorney-General has the authority to grant immunity to individuals accused of serious crimes without legislative backing or judicial approval.
In his supporting affidavit, the lawyer stated that many of the individuals reintegrated are believed to have been involved in acts such as terrorism, kidnapping, and murder, yet were released without facing trial in any court of competent jurisdiction.
He warned that such actions undermine public confidence in the justice system and pose potential risks to citizens, whose rights to life, dignity, and personal liberty are guaranteed under the Constitution.
Opara also argued that the judiciary alone has the power to determine criminal liability, adding that the actions of the military amount to an overreach into judicial functions and a breach of the principle of separation of powers.
He urged the court to intervene, warning that failure to do so could allow the continued release of unprosecuted suspects, thereby weakening the rule of law and national security.
As of the time of filing this report, the case had not yet been assigned to a judge, leaving the future of the reintegration programme uncertain amid ongoing public debate over its legality and implications.
