The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Sunday tackled President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s plan to reintegrate almost 800 terrorists into Nigerian communities, describing it as evidence that the government is “soft on terrorism.”
This was contained in a statement signed in Abuja by the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.
In the said statement, the party argued that framing insurgents as “brothers” or “prodigal sons,” as some officials have done in recent weeks, in addition to the Tinubu government’s terrorist reintegration plans, reflects a dangerous misunderstanding of terrorism as an existential threat.
It warned that reintegration without clear accountability and justice for victims indicates injustice and dangerously encourages terrorism.
The statement reads further: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken note of reports that the Tinubu administration is proceeding with plans to reintegrate hundreds of so-called repentant terrorists into society.
“Taken together with a pattern of official remarks over time, the party argued that describing such individuals as “brothers” and even “prodigal sons points to a deeper and more troubling reality: a government that does not fully grasp the nature or scale of the threat it faces.
“Terrorism is not a family dispute. It is not a moral metaphor. It is a sustained and organised campaign of violence against the Nigerian state and its people. It has taken lives, destroyed communities, displaced millions, and undermined the very foundation of security and economic stability in our country. To respond to such a threat with language that softens its meaning and policies that appear to prioritise rehabilitation ahead of accountability is not compassion. It is a weakness.
“On one hand, the government claims to be prosecuting a war against terror. On the other, it appears eager to reintroduce insurgents, who have waged a war against the Nigerian state, into society without first establishing clear processes for justice, without transparent standards for determining genuine repentance, and without credible safeguards to protect the communities they are being returned to. This is not balance.
“A government that treats terrorists as errant family members is a government that is dangerously soft on terror. Reintegration without justice is not reconciliation; it is injustice. It is facilitation. It sends the wrong signal to victims who are still waiting for closure, and even worse, it is a signal to those who may be considering violence that the cost of terror can be negotiated after the fact.
“Nigerians do not know who has been investigated, who has been prosecuted, or on what basis individuals are deemed safe for reintegration. There is no clarity on the systems that will monitor them after release, and no assurance that affected communities have been consulted or protected.”
The ADC, while probing further, suggested that terrorism must be treated as what it is – an existential threat to the Nigerian state.
“Nigeria can not afford mixed signals in a fight that demands discipline and resolve. National security is not a guessing game, and it is not a space for sentiment to override judgment,” the statement added.
