”Terrorists Are Nigerians, We Must Give Them Chance To Repent Instead Of Killing Them,” CDS Oluyede Calls Repentant Insurgents ‘Prodigal Son’ That Must Be Welcomed Back (VIDEO)
The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS General Olufemi Oluyede has stated that terrorists in Nigeria should be given an opportunity to repent instead of being killed.
In a recent video that has circulated widely online, the CDS described insurgents as Nigerians and likened them to “prodigal sons” who should be welcomed back into society if they abandon violence.
Addressing concerns about rehabilitation, he said, “So many people have asked the question, why do we need to rehabilitate criminals? They all should be killed because they kill people.”
He continued, “But even in the Bible, we heard about the prodigal son. If there was not that window for the man to come back…”
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He added 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 will kill you or you continue with the adventure.”
Oluyede noted that communities play a critical role in supporting security efforts, urging citizens to cooperate with the military by providing information and rejecting extremist ideologies.
He stressed that those who choose to renounce violence should be given a chance to reintegrate, as part of existing deradicalisation programmes.
