Call for caution
Northern leaders were lately reported calling for circumspection on alleged plan by government to rehabilitate former terrorists. They urged that government should first ensure military defeat of the insurgents and
- Govt must listen to ACF over rehabilitation plan for ex-terrorists
Northern leaders were lately reported calling for circumspection on alleged plan by government to rehabilitate former terrorists. They urged that government should first ensure military defeat of the insurgents and compel their surrender, before reintegrating them into society or granting them amnesty.
The apex northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), argued that terrorists should be firmly brought to justice, made to face their victims in courts and plead for forgiveness.
ACF National Publicity Secretary, Professor Muhammad Tukur Baba, said it was the victims’ call to forgive the terrorists if they so wished and not government’s.
The ACF spokesman was quoted saying in a recent media interview: “These deals with terrorists and bandits… In the first place, when you want to do that, there has to be accountability. What about the victims? What happened to them? The wrong was done to the state represented by the government, but the harm was inflicted on individuals – people and families.
“What is their fate? It has been tried in Rwanda. But in Rwanda, the terrorists were taken before a special court and made to confess their sins, and they were confronted by their victims. It was up to the victims to forgive or not. And if they don’t forgive, the law would take its course.”
According to the frontline group, government needs to prevail with overwhelming force against insurgents to discharge its duty to citizens. “And then we can talk about non-kinetic measures… We worry about the victims. We worry about the nature of re-orientation that these bandits and terrorists were put through,” Baba said, adding: “We don’t have enough details, but we urge extreme caution.
“We urge that the interests of victims be taken into consideration. And the final person who will forgive is not government, it’s the victims if they so wish. There has to be retributive justice. You just cannot carry arms. It’s not even against the state, it’s against the people. But then, we don’t have enough details (of government’s rehabilitation programme).”
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To be clear, the Federal Government isn’t granting blanket or unconditional amnesty to terrorists, but is rather promoting a “de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration” (DRR) scheme for surrendered fighters. Under Operation Safe Corridor (DRR programme), government has espoused reintegration of “repentant” insurgents, with reports citing more than 700 persons described as ex-terrorists as having gone through the programme and returned to communities, notably under the former Muhammadu Buhari presidency.
Military leadership has always argued that there could be no amnesty for active terrorists, saying previous efforts to rehabilitate them only allowed them room to regroup. While officials framed the “rehabilitation and reintegration” programme as aimed at helping misguided individuals to quit extremism, it is often criticised as a form of amnesty that robs victims of accountability by terrorists.
Recent narratives from official circles have not helped matters. In January, Katsina State government was reported planning to grant amnesty to 70 terrorists, as part of a pact it reached with them to desist from their criminality. Amidst criticisms of the plan by regional stakeholders, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation weighed in to affirm the power of state governors to grant such amnesty.
“Governors have constitutional powers to grant pardon if the terrorists were prosecuted by their respective states,” a ministerial aide, Kamarudeen Ogundele, was reported responding to a newspaper inquiry.
ACF is a leading voice of the North, which is the hub of terrorist activities, and we think its perspective should be considered significant. The point must be made, however, that rehabilitating ex-terrorists and bringing active terrorists to justice are not mutually exclusive.
The military are dealing a hard hand against terrorist hideouts presently, and recently some 500 apprehended terrorists were dragged to court with stiff sentences secured against many. De-radicalisation and rehabilitation can work without impeding kinetic exertions against active criminal elements.
Meanwhile, breakthroughs are being recorded in efforts to stop the merchants of violence in their tracks. Personnel of the Nigerian Army in Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace intercepted a large cache of ammunition and explosive materials suspected to be linked to terrorist elements on the Kaduna-Jos highway in recent weeks. The interception occurred on April 16, during a stop-and-search operation near Boys Science Secondary School on Manchok–Jos Road.
According to a statement by the joint task force, a commercial vehicle with Kano registration number conveying seven passengers was stopped and searched, leading to the discovery of concealed military-grade items. These include 569 rounds of 12.7mm anti-aircraft ammunition, several high-velocity warheads and 189 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammunition. Troops also recovered disused handsets that security experts identified as adaptable for remote detonation of explosive devices.
The driver of the vehicle reportedly claimed the items were part of a waybill consignment handed over by an unidentified individual, with no verifiable details of the sender or intended recipient. All occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody alongside the recovered items for further investigation.
Security operatives who intercepted the deadly items must be commended for a good job. But we also find the intelligence slip that permitted the cargo to travel so far inland before being detected worrisome. There is need for better alertness.
