For more than a decade, Nigerians have buried their loved ones, watched entire communities reduced to rubble, witnessed schools destroyed, churches and mosques attacked, soldiers ambushed, and millions displaced by the brutality of terrorism. Thousands of families are still searching for justice, while countless victims continue to live with physical and emotional scars that may never heal.
It is against this painful background that the Nigerian Senate’s recent rejection of the continued rehabilitation of repentant terrorists has resonated with millions of citizens across the country. The resolution is not merely a political statement; it is a powerful affirmation that justice must remain at the heart of Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
The debate over terrorist rehabilitation is not new. It has divided security experts, human rights advocates, policymakers and ordinary Nigerians for years. While supporters see rehabilitation as a strategic counterinsurgency tool, many Nigerians regard it as a policy that appears to reward those who once took up arms against the state while neglecting the innocent victims of their atrocities.
The policy traces its roots to Operation Safe Corridor, a Federal Government initiative launched in 2016 as part of Nigeria’s non-kinetic approach to combating insurgency. The programme was created to encourage members of Boko Haram and other extremist groups—particularly those considered low-risk—to surrender voluntarily. Participants receive psychological counselling, religious reorientation, vocational training, civic education and other forms of rehabilitation before being reintegrated into society.
The philosophy behind the programme is understandable. Counterinsurgency experts recognise that military force alone rarely defeats terrorism. Encouraging defections can weaken terrorist organisations, reduce recruitment and save lives. Similar de-radicalisation initiatives have been attempted in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Singapore and Denmark, although each operates within different legal, cultural and security environments.
Yet Nigeria’s circumstances are unique. The country continues to battle terrorism, banditry and violent extremism on multiple fronts. Many communities remain under constant threat, while internally displaced persons continue to struggle for survival. In such a fragile security environment, the reintegration of former terrorists naturally raises legitimate concerns about public safety, accountability and justice. Perhaps the greatest weakness of the policy is not its intention but its perception. To victims of terrorism, rehabilitation often appears deeply unfair. Parents who lost children to bomb attacks see former insurgents receiving government-funded counselling and vocational training. Widows whose husbands were murdered by terrorists struggle to feed their families while some perpetrators receive rehabilitation opportunities.
Communities that were burnt to the ground still await reconstruction years after the attacks.
This painful contrast has fuelled public anger and weakened confidence in the programme. Another major concern is the possibility of recidivism. Around the world, de-radicalisation remains an extremely complex process. While many former extremists genuinely renounce violence, others merely exploit rehabilitation programmes before reconnecting with extremist networks. This reality explains why successful de-radicalisation programmes elsewhere are accompanied by rigorous prosecution, continuous monitoring, intelligence gathering and strict judicial oversight.
Many Nigerians remain unconvinced that sufficient safeguards exist within Nigeria’s current framework. The Senate’s decision therefore reflects more than public emotion. It reflects a legitimate concern that justice must never be sacrificed in the pursuit of reconciliation. A democratic society cannot afford to create the impression that those who massacre innocent citizens may eventually receive rehabilitation while their victims receive little more than sympathy.
Justice is not revenge.
Justice is accountability.
Justice is respect for the rule of law.
Justice is the assurance that criminal conduct attracts lawful consequences.
None of this suggests that every individual associated with terrorist groups should be treated identically. International law recognises important distinctions between hardened commanders, child soldiers, abducted civilians and persons who were forced into terrorist organisations against their will. Such distinctions should continue to guide prosecution and sentencing. However, those directly responsible for murder, kidnapping, rape, bombings and other grave crimes against humanity should answer for their actions before competent courts. Rehabilitation should complement justice where appropriate, not replace it.
Nigeria must also reorder its priorities.
Victims deserve rehabilitation.
Communities deserve reconstruction.
Orphans deserve education.
Widows deserve economic support.
Wounded soldiers deserve quality healthcare, adequate compensation and long-term welfare. Families displaced by terrorism deserve safe homes and renewed hope. These are the citizens whose rehabilitation should command the nation’s greatest attention. The Senate has therefore taken a principled and timely stand. Its resolution should trigger a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy, one that strengthens military operations, improves intelligence, secures Nigeria’s borders, accelerates criminal prosecutions and places victims—not perpetrators—at the centre of national policy.
History teaches that lasting peace cannot be built on justice denied.
Nigeria must certainly encourage genuine repentance where appropriate, but repentance should never erase accountability. Compassion must never undermine justice, and reconciliation must never diminish the suffering of innocent victims. The Senate has reminded the nation of a simple but enduring truth: a government earns the confidence of its people not by showing greater mercy to terrorists than to their victims, but by ensuring that justice is done and is seen to be done. That is why the Senate was right.
•Dr. Ofoye writes from Lagos.
