By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja
Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has said that forgiving terrorists is against the 1999 Constitution, warning that the government’s negotiation and concessions to bandits and terrorists threaten national security.
In a statement on Tuesday, Adeyanju described such acts as “alien to any serious state” and argued that “the continued negotiation, payment, forgiveness, and appeasement of bandits and terrorists by the government amounts to indirect financing of terrorism.”
He stressed, “Terrorists do not repent, and banditry is not a misunderstanding that can be settled across negotiation tables.” Adeyanju also criticized some state governments for negotiating with criminals to restore fragile peace.
“These are criminals who should be arrested, prosecuted, and jailed, not hosted in Government Houses or rewarded with concessions,” he said, adding that forgiving terrorists sets a dangerous precedent. “It sends the message that taking up arms, killing citizens, and destabilizing the country pays. It encourages more criminality, as others will be emboldened to bear arms knowing the government will eventually negotiate, compensate, and beg them.”
Adeyanju further contrasted terrorists with separatist figures like Nnamdi Kanu, noting that while Kanu did not physically kill anyone, thousands of Nigerians have been slaughtered by terrorists who are now reportedly being embraced by the government.
He warned that this approach undermines justice and threatens the foundation of national security in the long term.
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