SECURITY CRISIS: SENATE OPPOSES REHABILITATION OF REPENTANT TERRORISTS
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
The Senate has called on the Federal Government to end the rehabilitation of repentant terrorists and other violent offenders, insisting that those found guilty of terrorism and related crimes should be prosecuted without delay.
The resolution was adopted during Tuesday’s plenary as part of additional prayers considered alongside a motion on the rising attacks, kidnappings and killings involving serving and retired military personnel across the country.
The motion was sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Nigerian Army, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua.
Lawmakers maintained that Nigeria’s worsening security situation requires tougher deterrent measures rather than policies that could be interpreted as rewarding criminality. They stressed that anyone convicted of terrorism or organised crime should face the full weight of the law, adding that swift prosecution is essential to restore public confidence in the nation’s justice system.
The additional prayer was moved by Senator Joseph Ikpea, representing Edo Central Senatorial District, and seconded by Senator Adams Oshiomhole before it was unanimously adopted by the chamber.
The Senate also resolved to seek an audience with President Bola Tinubu to formally present its concerns over the deteriorating security situation and relay the fears of Nigerians regarding the continued incidents of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
The motion followed the recent abduction and death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, who was kidnapped alongside his wife in Katsina State and later died while in captivity.
While leading the debate, Yar’Adua warned that the growing trend of targeted attacks on serving and retired military officers poses a serious threat to national security and weakens the authority of the Nigerian state.
He recalled that on January 1, 2023, retired Colonel Rabiu Garba Yandoto and his two children were abducted by bandits along the Gusau–Tsafe Road in Zamfara State before regaining their freedom after negotiations.
The senator also cited the September 27, 2023 abduction of retired Major General Richard Chukwudi Duru in Owerri, Imo State. Despite his family reportedly paying a $50,000 ransom, Duru was later killed by his abductors.
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