The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Tinubu administration’s plan to reintegrate almost 800 terrorists into Nigerian communities, describing it as evidence that the government is “soft on terror and clueless on security.”
The party made the position known in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Sunday.
The party argued that framing insurgents as “brothers” or “prodigal sons” as some officials have done in recent weeks in addition to the Tinubu government’s terrorist reintegration plans, reflects a dangerous misunderstanding of terrorism as an existential threat.
It warned that reintegration without clear accountability and justice for victims indicates injustice and dangerously encourages terrorism.
The statement said: “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.
“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 has taken lives, destroyed communities, displaced millions, and undermined the very foundation of security and economic stability in our country. 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.
“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.
“On one hand, the government claims to be prosecuting a war against terror. On the other, it appears eager to reintroduce insurgents, who have waged a war against the Nigerian state, into society without first establishing clear processes for justice, without transparent standards for determining genuine repentance, and without credible safeguards to protect the communities they are being returned to. This is not balance. It is a dangerous failure of judgment and political accommodation taken too far.
“A government that treats terrorists as errant family members is a government that is dangerously soft on terror. And a government that cannot take a clear stand against its enemy cannot defeat it. Reintegration without justice is not reconciliation; it is injustice. It is facilitation. It sends the wrong signal to victims who are still waiting for closure, and even worse, it is a signal to those who may be considering violence that the cost of terror can be negotiated after the fact.
“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. There is no clarity on the systems that will monitor them after release, and no assurance that affected communities have been consulted or protected. In the absence of these answers, what is being presented as a strategy begins to look like abdication, if not collaboration.
“The ADC believes that terrorism must be treated as what it is: an existential threat to the Nigerian state. Our approach will be rooted in clarity, accountability, and competence. Those who have committed grave crimes will face the full weight of the law, because justice is not optional in a society governed by laws.
“Above all, the safety of Nigerian communities will come first, and the voices and rights of victims will be central to any national response.
“Nigeria cannot afford mixed signals in a fight that demands discipline and resolve. 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.”
