Human rights lawyer and activist, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, has criticised the federal government over what he described as the continued appeasement of bandits and terrorists, warning that such actions amount to indirect financing of terrorism. In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Adeyanju argued that negotiating with, forgiving, or compensating armed groups undermines justice and weakens national security, insisting that criminals involved in banditry and terrorism should be arrested, prosecuted and jailed rather than rewarded with concessions.
According to him: “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.” He added that “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 destabilizing the country pays,” stressing that such an approach “encourages more criminality” and “undermines the idea of justice and it threatens the foundation of national security in the long run.”