CITIZENS COMPASS— A scholars’ group, Ondo State Scholars Arena for Development Initiative (OSSADI), on Monday, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the rehabilitation and reintegration of captured terrorists in Nigeria.
The group, in a letter addressed to Tinubu and co-signed by General Secretary, Omoyoloye Oloruntimilehin Julius and Convener,
Odofin Oluwafemi, urged the president to see this as a matter of urgency.
According to the letter: We write to you on behalf of the Ondo State Scholars Arena for Development Initiative (OSSADI), a duly registered and apolitical organization under the Corporate Affairs Commission, with over 10,000 members spread across the eighteen local government areas of Ondo State. Our membership comprises scholars, academics, professionals and individuals from diverse fields of human endeavour who are committed to national development, justice and the security of our country.
Mr. President, we commend the sacrifices being made daily by members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies in confronting terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes threatening the unity and survival of our nation. Their courage and patriotism deserve the support and appreciation of every Nigerian.
However, we are deeply concerned about the continued policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating captured Boko Haram terrorists and bandits into society. We respectfully urge your administration to put a permanent stop to this policy with immediate effect.
We believe that the continuous arrest, rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists is one of the reasons insurgency has remained persistent in Nigeria. Returning individuals who have taken up arms against the state and who have participated in the killing of innocent civilians and security personnel back into society sends the wrong signal and amounts in the eyes of many Nigerians to empowering terrorism.
A fundamental question must be asked:
How can a serious government commit scarce resources to rehabilitate and reintegrate known terrorists while their victims are languishing in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps?
Thousands of widows, orphans and displaced Nigerians continue to suffer the consequences of terrorism. Many communities destroyed by insurgents are yet to recover. In our view, priority should be given to victims and survivors rather than to those who unleashed terror upon them.
Furthermore, this policy undermines the painstaking efforts and sacrifices of our military personnel who risk their lives daily to flush out these criminals. It appears counterproductive to arrest terrorists on one hand and reintegrate them into society on the other.
Across the world, attempts at terrorist rehabilitation have produced mixed results. While some countries report limited successes, others have faced criticism over transparency, justice for victims and cases of recidivism, where rehabilitated individuals returned to violent extremism. Nigeria itself has witnessed instances where former insurgents who had undergone rehabilitation were subsequently linked to criminal and terrorist activities again. Such developments naturally raise concerns among citizens and victims’ families.
We are particularly worried by reports of continued rehabilitation and reintegration efforts in parts of the North-East. Whether undertaken by federal or state authorities, such initiatives require urgent review in the national interest. No nation should appear to reward individuals responsible for mass killings and destruction without first ensuring justice, accountability and the safety of innocent citizens.
We acknowledge that this policy originated during the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Nevertheless, leadership demands the courage to reassess policies that have not produced the desired outcomes. We therefore appeal to Your Excellency to discontinue the programme and issue clear directives that will prevent any further reintegration of captured terrorists into communities.
Mr. President, your foremost constitutional responsibility is the protection of lives and property. Every other responsibility is secondary to this sacred obligation.
We are reminded of the oft-quoted statement attributed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that it is the responsibility of governments to neutralize terrorists, while forgiveness remains a matter between them and God. While nations adopt different approaches to counterterrorism, the overriding duty of every government is to ensure the safety of its citizens.
As scholars and professionals, we believe Nigeria must adopt policies that strengthen deterrence, guarantee justice for victims and restore public confidence in the fight against insecurity.
History will remember leaders not only for the promises they made but also for the difficult decisions they took in defence of their people.
We therefore respectfully call on Your Excellency to:
•Permanently halt the rehabilitation and reintegration of captured terrorists and bandits.
•Prioritise support and compensation for victims of terrorism and displaced persons.
•Strengthen the operational capacity of the Armed Forces and security agencies.
•Ensure that perpetrators of terrorism face the full weight of the law.
•Engage state governments and relevant authorities on the need to review policies relating to the reintegration of former insurgents.
