₦airaland Forum

A former Chairman of the Pres­idential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has con­demned the granting of amnes­ty to terrorists and bandits who claim to have repented, warning that the practice is worsening Ni­geria’s security challenges.

Speaking with Daily Inde­pendent, on Wednesday, Sagay argued that individuals involved in terrorism and banditry often return to criminal activities after being granted freedom, thereby posing renewed threats to nation­al security.

According to the senior ad­vocate, amnesty should not be considered for persons who have engaged in activities that under­mine the security and sovereign­ty of the country.

“We are all against granting amnesty to bandits who have killed and caused havoc to the lives of innocent people,” Sagay said.

He maintained that security agencies should ensure that ar­rested terrorists and bandits are held accountable for their actions rather than being released under the guise of rehabilitation and re­integration.

“Once you are caught under­mining the security of the state, the question of amnesty cannot arise. These alleged repentant bandits are going to go back at the first opportunity to join hands with their colleagues to cause hav­oc again,” he stated.

Sagay further expressed doubts about the effectiveness of deradicalisation and rehabilita­tion programmes for terrorists and bandits, insisting that many of those granted amnesty even­tually return to their criminal networks.

“It is not a disease that is cur­able. Once you are a bandit and you are captured by the security agents, the person should be put in detention indefinitely. If they are freed, they are going to revert to their deadly onslaught against the state,” he added.

The legal scholar called for a tougher approach in dealing with terrorism, banditry and other vi­olent crimes, stressing that last­ing peace can only be achieved through strict enforcement of the law and adequate punishment for offenders.

His remarks come amid ongo­ing debates over the effectiveness of amnesty programmes and re­habilitation initiatives as part of efforts to address insecurity in various parts of the country.

Also speaking, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Monday Ubani, said that Nige­ria’s growing insecurity challeng­es would be drastically reduced if local governments across the country were granted full finan­cial autonomy and allowed to function effectively.

Ubani, who is a former Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), made the assertion while speaking with Daily Independent on Wednesday.

According to him, the current structure of local government ad­ministration has weakened grass­roots governance and contributed significantly to the country’s secu­rity challenges.

“Unless Nigeria returns to lo­cal government autonomy, noth­ing much can be achieved. Let local governments be financially autonomous and then let every chief security officer of the local government be in charge of his territory,” he said.

The senior lawyer argued that functional local governments would enhance intelligence gathering and improve commu­nity-based security management, thereby addressing a substantial portion of the nation’s insecurity concerns.

“If we don’t have a functional local government, we can never solve insecurity challenges. Fifty percent of our insecurity prob­lems will be solved if we agree to restore local government autono­my and allow local governments to function. The non-functionality of local governments is breeding insecurity in Nigeria,” he stated.

Ubani further explained that local government officials are bet­ter positioned to understand the peculiar security dynamics with­in their jurisdictions, including monitoring movements in and out of their communities.

“If I come from a particular local government (area) and I am the chief security officer, I will know all the entry and exit points of my local government (area) as well as all the areas. I will also take account of every­one that comes in and goes out. I must ensure proper security of my local government (area) and its territories,” he said.

He maintained that if chief security officers across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas effec­tively discharge such responsi­bilities, insecurity in the country would be significantly curtailed.

Ubani, therefore, called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to ensure the full implementation of local government autonomy as a crit­ical step towards strengthening grassroots governance and tack­ling insecurity nationwide.

whippersnapper:
Mr man Nigeria is more complex than you think. There are henchmen who are not in power controlling the affairs of the country. To become a president in Nigeria is not easy. It's a give and take situation. Banditry and kidnapping is a billion dollar business in Nigeria. You wan Comot food for people mouth

omenka:
What does Sagey know when Obi has said that's the best course of action to take against the killers, and his supporters couldn't agree more. One of his ardent supporters even went as far as saying aggressively countering the activities of the murderers would amount to taking food out of peoples mouths, and that to become the president, one has to accommodate and pamper terrorists:



This, ladies and gentlemen, if the character of Gringori and his supporters.

May Obi NEVER happen to Nigeria.

omenka:
What does Sagey know when Obi has said that's the best course of action to take against the killers, and his supporters couldn't agree more. One of his ardent supporters even went as far as saying aggressively countering the activities of the murderers would amount to taking food out of peoples mouths, and that to become the president, one has to accommodate and pamper terrorists:



This, ladies and gentlemen, if the character of Gringori and his supporters.

May Obi NEVER happen to Nigeria.

bolaayenimo:
What does Sagay know? Are you okay?

LordIsaac:
Very basic knowledge, one they do not have!

omenka:
What does Sagey know when Obi has said that's the best course of action to take against the killers, and his supporters couldn't agree more. One of his ardent supporters even went as far as saying aggressively countering the activities of the murderers would amount to taking food out of peoples mouths, and that to become the president, one has to accommodate and pamper terrorists:



This, ladies and gentlemen, if the character of Gringori and his supporters.

May Obi NEVER happen to Nigeria.

hisexcellency34:
https://independent.ng/amnesty-for-repentant-terrorists-worsening-insecurity-sagay-warns/

LordIsaac:
Very basic knowledge, one they do not have!

hisexcellency34:
https://independent.ng/amnesty-for-repentant-terrorists-worsening-insecurity-sagay-warns/

bolaayenimo:
What does Sagay know? Are you okay?

omenka:
What does Sagey know when Obi has said that's the best course of action to take against the killers, and his supporters couldn't agree more.

One of his ardent supporters even went as far as saying aggressively countering the activities of the murderers would amount to taking food out of peoples mouths, and that to become the president, one has to accommodate and pamper terrorists:



This, ladies and gentlemen, if the character of Gringori and his supporters.

May Obi NEVER happen to Nigeria.

nairalanda1:
Yeah, as much as I hate to say this, part of the way out of this crisis would involve rehabilitation.

Back in the 1990's Sierra Leone and LIberia had brutal civil war. The war was perpetrated by some of the most brutal people ever like Foday Sankoh and several others. Many of these guys not only killed, they cut off people's limbs, raped, and so forth

At the end of the war, many of them were rehabilitated. And even given money.

Yes, the big dogs were to a large extent jailed but some got away.

I know that people are going to abuse me, and call me names, but the alternative is

1. We shoot most of them, which is going to spark Boko Haram 3.0

2. We jail them in prisions that are not able to cope with the population.

I HATE WHAT I AM SAYING RIGHT NOW.

But that's how the world is. A lot of brutal war criminals have gotten away because quite simply there is no where we can kill every evil person in the world.

Keep in mind that Boko also pressgangs people into their armies. Many don't join because they want to join, they join because they have no effing choice.

I wisn this is not so. If it was up to me, I would send every boko guy to the great beyond. But we are not dealing with fantasies here


Yes, we have to face cold effing reality.