The Senate has urged the Federal Government to halt the rehabilitation of violent offenders and “repentant terrorists.”
During Tuesday’s plenary, the upper legislative chamber emphasized that individuals found guilty of terrorism and related offenses must face immediate prosecution and the full force of the law.
The resolution was part of several recommendations adopted by the Senate during a debate on a motion addressing the escalating wave of attacks, kidnappings, and killings targeting active and retired military personnel across the country.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Nigerian Army.
Furthermore, the upper chamber contended that given the country’s current security realities, policies perceived as promoting impunity must give way to more robust deterrent measures.
The lawmakers maintained that repentant terrorists and persons convicted of terrorism and organized crime must face swift legal action, emphasizing that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done to restore public trust in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The Senate approved the additional resolution after it was moved by Senator Joseph Ikpea of the Edo Central Senatorial District and seconded by Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Additionally, the Senate resolved to meet with President Bola Tinubu to formally present its concerns regarding the worsening security situation and to convey the anxieties of Nigerians over the ongoing wave of terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks across the nation.
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Backstory…
The Senate’s rejection comes amid renewed public outrage over the Federal Government’s policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating surrendered terrorists through Operation Safe Corridor. Since the programme was introduced in 2016, thousands of former Boko Haram and ISWAP members have reportedly undergone deradicalisation before being released back into society. On several occasions, batches of ex-combatants have graduated from the programme and been handed over to state governments for reintegration.
The controversy has intensified in recent months as Nigeria has witnessed a resurgence of insecurity across the North-East and North-West. Deadly attacks on farming communities in Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna have claimed scores of lives, while kidnappings for ransom have continued to spread into previously calmer areas.
Security agencies have also recorded fresh IED attacks, raids on military formations and repeated assaults on rural communities, raising concerns that terrorist groups remain capable of regrouping despite years of military operations.
Read Also: ‘Dangerous softness’- ADC Condemns FG’s reintegration plan for Terrorists
