“No country jokes with people who deliberately wage war on it. When individuals pick up arms, kill civilians, and challenge state authority, the response shouldn’t look soft or confusing”
It’s honestly baffling. You’re fighting people who bomb villages, kidnap kids, and ambush soldiers… and the conversation is suddenly about “rehabilitation”? That’s hard for many Nigerians to swallow. Like my sister and senior, Olajumoke Alawode-James, would say, “Nigeria, who bewitched you?
Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, comparing terrorists to the biblical “prodigal son” misses the point completely. The prodigal son hurt no one but himself. Terrorists, on the other hand, leave trails of graves, widows, and displaced communities. That’s not a family quarrel; that’s violent crime against a whole nation. Big difference.
And let’s be real: Nigeria has tried this “repent and rehabilitate, and reintegrate” idea before. We were told they had dropped their weapons, embraced peace, and were ready to start afresh. Yet, reports kept surfacing of “repentant” fighters slipping back into the bush, leaking intelligence, or even rejoining attacks. At that point, citizens begin to ask: are we recycling danger?
No country jokes with people who deliberately wage war on it. When individuals pick up arms, kill civilians, and challenge state authority, the response shouldn’t look soft or confusing. It should be firm, lawful, and decisive. Prosecution. Conviction. Maximum penalties allowed by law. That’s what sends a clear message that terrorism has consequences.
Rehabilitation might work for petty offenders or misguided youths who haven’t committed grave atrocities. But for hardened terrorists with blood on their hands, many Nigerians see it as risky and unfair to victims. Justice matters. Deterrence matters. National security matters.
If the system looks too forgiving, it can weaken morale among troops and shake public confidence. And at a time when people already feel unsafe, that’s the last signal the country needs.
Shall we say Nigeria’s Chief of Defence staff needs some tutorial or retraining? Let him be told that to forgive terrorists is up to God, but to send them to Him is up to the military and the Nigerian people.
