The African Democratic Congress has criticised the Federal Government over the reported plan to reintegrate hundreds of so-called repentant terrorists into society, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of showing dangerous softness in its approach to terrorism. In a statement posted on Sunday and attributed to the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the move suggested a poor understanding of the scale and nature of Nigeria’s security crisis.
The opposition party said the issue went beyond policy disagreement and touched the core of national security. It argued that terrorism should not be framed in sentimental or familial terms, warning that earlier official remarks describing such fighters as “brothers” or “prodigal sons” had already raised troubling questions about the government’s mindset. The ADC said terrorism was “a sustained and organised campaign of violence against the Nigerian state and its people,” not a dispute that could be resolved by rhetoric or vague reconciliation.
The statement appears to be a response to fresh controversy surrounding Operation Safe Corridor, Nigeria’s long-running deradicalisation and reintegration programme. Reports this week said 744 former terrorists and victims of violent extremism had graduated from the scheme and were being prepared for reintegration, reigniting public debate over accountability, transparency and the safety of affected communities.
According to the ADC, the biggest concern is the absence of clarity about how those being released are screened, prosecuted or monitored after reintegration. The party said Nigerians have not been told who among the ex-fighters had been properly investigated, what crimes they may have committed, or on what basis they are considered safe to return to society. It argued that reintegration without justice sends the wrong message to victims and risks normalising impunity.
Public unease over the programme has also spread beyond party politics. Punch reported widespread outrage over the planned reintegration of ex-terrorists, with legal and human rights voices warning that the process lacks sufficient transparency and safeguards. Critics have called for stronger monitoring, clearer judicial oversight and more visible support for victims and displaced communities.
The ADC said any serious counter-terrorism strategy must place justice, deterrence and the rule of law at its centre. It urged the government to adopt what it described as a firmer and clearer security doctrine, insisting that people accused of grave crimes must face the law before any conversation about reintegration can begin. The party framed the issue as a test of leadership, arguing that national security “is not a guessing game” and cannot be managed through ambiguity.
