ADC slams FG over plan to reintegrate 800 ‘repentant terrorists’

By Luminous Jannamike

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has come down hard on the Federal Government’s reported plan to reintegrate nearly 800 repentant terrorists into Nigerian communities, warning that the move could weaken the fight against insurgency and put already traumatised communities at further risk.

The party said the issue goes beyond reintegration and raises serious questions about whether the government understands the threat, can guarantee justice, and has a clear plan to keep Nigerians safe.

The position was contained in a statement by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, who accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of lacking clarity and resolve in confronting terrorism.

The planned reintegration is part of ongoing efforts by authorities to deradicalise and rehabilitate former insurgents, a strategy that has sparked debate over balancing justice and reconciliation.

“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken note of reports that the Tinubu administration is proceeding with plans to reintegrate hundreds of so-called repentant terrorists into society.

“Taken together with a pattern of official remarks over time describing such individuals as ‘brothers’ and even ‘prodigal sons,’ this decision points to a deeper and more troubling reality: a government that does not fully grasp the nature or scale of the threat it faces,” Abdullahi said.

The party argued that soft language around insurgents risks downplaying the gravity of terrorism and blurring the line between justice and leniency.

“Terrorism is not a family dispute. It is not a moral metaphor. It is a sustained and organised campaign of violence against the Nigerian state and its people,” it said.

ADC warned that putting rehabilitation ahead of accountability could deepen the pain of victims and send the wrong message about the consequences of violence.

“To respond to such a threat with language that softens its meaning, and policies that appear to prioritise rehabilitation ahead of accountability, is not compassion. It is weakness,” Abdullahi said.

The party also pointed to what it described as a contradiction in the government’s approach, saying authorities appear to be fighting terrorism on one hand while preparing to reintroduce former insurgents into society without clearly defined safeguards.

“What Nigerians are witnessing is not a coherent security strategy. It is, at best, confusion dressed up as policy; at worst, a dangerous policy of political appeasement that compounds the tragedy of victims of terror.

“The Tinubu administration has failed to answer the most basic questions that any serious government must confront in a matter of this magnitude. Nigerians do not know who has been investigated, who has been prosecuted, or on what basis individuals are deemed safe for reintegration.

“In the absence of these answers, what is being presented as a strategy begins to look like abdication, if not collaboration,” the party said.

According to the ADC, the government cannot fight terror and appear to excuse it at the same time.

Reiterating its position, the party insisted that justice must remain central to any response to terrorism and warned against policies that could weaken accountability.

“Reintegration without justice is not reconciliation; it is injustice. It is facilitation.

“National security is not a guessing game, and it is not a space for sentiment to override judgment. It requires leadership that understands the stakes and is prepared to act with firmness and clarity,” the ADC said.

The party maintained that anything short of a clear, transparent and victim-centred approach risks undermining both public trust and the fight against terrorism itself.

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