Human rights activist and convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, has condemned the Federal Government’s continued negotiation, pardon, and alleged appeasement of bandits and terrorists, warning that such actions endanger Nigeria’s national security.
In a statement issued on Monday, Adeyanju said the government’s approach amounts to indirect financing of terrorism, insisting that armed groups involved in terrorism and banditry are criminals who should be dealt with through the justice system, not dialogue or forgiveness.
He argued that terrorists do not repent and that banditry is not a misunderstanding that can be resolved at negotiation tables. According to him, those involved in violent crimes should be arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned, rather than being hosted by government officials or rewarded with concessions.
Adeyanju described the practice of forgiving terrorists as strange to any serious state, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent. He said it sends the wrong signal that taking up arms, killing citizens, and destabilizing the country can lead to rewards.
He cautioned that such policies could encourage more criminality, as others may be emboldened to resort to violence in the belief that the government would eventually negotiate with, compensate, or pardon them.
Drawing a comparison, Adeyanju noted that some of the terrorists being engaged by the government have committed crimes far more severe than those attributed to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He pointed out that while Kanu faces allegations of incitement, he has not been accused of personally killing anyone, unlike terrorists who have allegedly killed thousands of Nigerians.
Adeyanju warned that embracing such criminals undermines justice and poses a long-term threat to the foundation of Nigeria’s national security.
