The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has said terrorists in North-East Nigeria will not be executed but given a chance to repent, likening them to the biblical prodigal son.

Speaking at the Armed Forces inaugural lecture for the newly established Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre (JDWC) at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre in Abuja, Gen Oluyede explained that most terrorists are Nigerian citizens who deserve a window to return to society.

“Talking about Operation Safe Corridor, so many people have asked that question: why do we need to rehabilitate criminals? They all should be killed because they have killed people. Well, that may make sense,” he said.

“But even in the Bible, we heard about the prodigal son. If there was not that window for the man to come back, would they have come back?” he added.

Gen Oluyede stressed that allowing terrorists to voluntarily repent is more effective than pushing them to the extreme.

He added, “So the point is that these are Nigerians, mostly. And it’s important for us to give them that window to repent, if they want, rather than pushing them to the extreme. To say, okay, ‘It’s either we kill you, or you continue with the adventure.’

He also urged lawmakers to understand the importance of rehabilitation, noting that everything about the Safe Corridor programme is being managed by the Defence Headquarters.

“I think it is important for us to make people understand, especially the National Assembly, because as we speak now, everything about the safe corridor is being given by the defense headquarters,” he said. (TRIBUNE)