Advocacy Intelligence and Development Partners (AIDP) has lauded the Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, for sponsoring a bill seeking capital punishment for terrorism, describing the move as bold and timely amid Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Osabinu Olufemi, the group said Senator Bamidele showed strong legislative resolve by placing national survival above political sentiment as the country continues to grapple with insurgency, banditry, mass abductions and violent extremism.
AIDP noted that terrorism in Nigeria has expanded from isolated attacks to a systemic, organised and ideological threat, citing the activities of Boko Haram, ISWAP and armed bandit networks that deliberately target civilians and challenge state authority.
According to the group, the proposed bill is aimed at deterrence rather than revenge. It quoted the Senate Leader as saying, “When terrorists declare war on a state, the state must respond with laws that reflect the gravity of the war.”
The advocacy group argued that weak or negotiable penalties have failed to curb terrorism, stressing that the bill would send a clear signal that terrorism “is not activism or grievance politics, but mass murder,” and that those who organise, finance or carry out terror attacks would face the maximum punishment under the law.
On concerns surrounding human rights and capital punishment, AIDP maintained that the protection of innocent lives must remain paramount, adding that prioritising the rights of terrorists over those of their victims undermines justice.
While acknowledging risks such as judicial error and possible political misuse, the group said these challenges called for stronger safeguards, thorough investigations and judicial independence, rather than outright rejection of the bill.
The group urged the National Assembly and Nigerians to support the legislation, saying decisive legal measures were necessary to restore public confidence, strengthen national security and reaffirm the authority of the Nigerian state in the fight against terrorism.