𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗼𝗻---𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗢𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮, 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has said terrorists and insurgents in Nigeria should be given opportunities for rehabilitation and repentance rather than being eliminated outright.

Oluyede made the statement during the inaugural lecture of the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre (JDWC) at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre in Abuja, while defending the need for the continuation of the government’s rehabilitation programme under Operation Safe Corridor.

The Defence Chief compared repentant terrorists to the biblical prodigal son, who returned home after abandoning his father, arguing that providing a path for transformation could encourage fighters to surrender.

According to him, many of those involved in terrorism are Nigerians and should be allowed the opportunity to abandon violence voluntarily.

“Even in the Bible, we heard about the prodigal son. If there was no window for the man to come back, would he have returned?” Oluyede said.

He explained that rehabilitation does not mean ignoring the crimes committed by terrorists but creating an avenue for those willing to repent to reintegrate into society.

The comments have generated mixed reactions among Nigerians, with some critics questioning the decision to rehabilitate individuals accused of killing and terrorising communities.

Some citizens argued that security agencies must prioritise justice and protection for victims, while others supported rehabilitation as a strategy to encourage surrender and reduce prolonged conflict.

The debate comes amid years of insurgency, kidnapping and violent attacks in parts of northern Nigeria, with thousands of lives lost and communities displaced.

The Operation Safe Corridor programme was established to process surrendered insurgents through deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.