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Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has condemned the growing practice of granting amnesty and pardons to bandits and terrorists whose violent activities have led to the deaths of thousands of innocent Nigerians, warning that such policies undermine justice and national security.
Adeyanju argued that individuals involved in terrorism, banditry and mass kidnappings should be arrested and prosecuted in line with the law, rather than being indulged through negotiations and state-sponsored forgiveness, as reportedly practised by some state governments.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, the lawyer said, “The continued negotiation, payment, forgiveness, and appeasement of bandits and terrorists by the government amounts to indirect financing of terrorism. Terrorists do not repent, and banditry is not a misunderstanding that can be settled across negotiation tables.
“These are criminals who should be arrested, prosecuted, and jailed, not hosted in Government Houses or rewarded with concessions.”
Adeyanju, who heads the Deji Adeyanju and Partners legal firm, noted that terrorism, banditry and kidnapping are grave crimes which serious nations confront using intelligence, law enforcement and military capacity, rather than dialogue with armed groups.
He urged both the federal and state governments to abandon what he described as a dangerous policy of appeasement and instead strengthen coordinated security operations to dismantle criminal networks.
“The idea of forgiving terrorists is alien to any serious state; it sets a dangerous precedent and sends the message that taking up arms, killing citizens, and destabilising the country pays. It encourages more criminality, as others will be emboldened to bear arms knowing the government will eventually negotiate, compensate, and beg them,” he said.
Adeyanju also questioned what he described as inconsistency in the state’s approach to justice, citing the continued detention and prosecution of separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
“These terrorists have committed far worse crimes than Nnamdi Kanu for example, who, whatever the allegations of incitement, did not physically kill anyone. Yet thousands of Nigerians have been slaughtered by terrorists who are now being embraced by our government.
“This approach undermines the idea of justice and it threatens the foundation of national security in the long run,” he added.
In recent years, several northern states battling banditry and insurgency have adopted policies centred on dialogue, negotiated settlements and amnesty programmes.
State governments in parts of the North-West and North-Central zones have at various times announced peace deals with armed groups, offering pardons, cash incentives, vocational training and reintegration packages in exchange for the surrender of weapons and a pledge to renounce violence.
While proponents of the approach argue that negotiations help reduce attacks and create openings for peace in conflict-ravaged communities, critics insist that the strategy has failed to deliver lasting security.
They contend that many armed groups return to criminal activities after benefiting from government concessions, while victims of attacks receive little or no justice.
The debate has intensified amid persistent attacks on rural communities, mass kidnappings for ransom, and the displacement of thousands of residents across affected states, raising questions about accountability, deterrence and the long-term implications of negotiating with non-state armed actors.