State Govs have no powers to pardon terrorists — Lawyer, Deji Adeyanju

‎Abuja-based lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, says state governors do not have powers to pardon terrorists.

‎

‎In a statement on Thursday, Adeyanju condemned the practice of some state governors granting amnesty to terrorists as part of non-kinetic strategies to address the country’s worsening security challenges.

‎

‎He insisted that such actions are unconstitutional and legally invalid.

‎

‎This is coming following the rising insecurity across several states, especially in the North-West, North East and North-Central zones, where banditry, mass kidnappings and terrorist attacks have persisted despite sustained military operations.

‎

‎Reacting, some state governments adopted dialogue, negotiation and amnesty programmes, offering pardons, financial incentives and rehabilitation packages to armed groups in exchange for laying down their weapons.

‎

‎Allegedly, states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger have at various times explored or implemented some forms of amnesty or negotiated settlements with bandit groups, often justifying the approach as a pragmatic response to overstretched security forces and the humanitarian toll of prolonged violence.

‎

‎While proponents argue that the measures have led to temporary reductions in attacks in some areas, critics maintain that the initiatives embolden criminal elements and undermine the rule of law.

‎

‎According to Adeyanju, beyond the policy debate, the actions of state governors in granting amnesty to terrorists lack constitutional backing.

‎

‎“Under Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, a governor’s power of pardon is limited strictly to offences created by laws of the state. Terrorism, however, is a federal offence governed by the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and falls squarely within matters of national security on the exclusive legislative list,” he said.

‎

‎

‎