Ex-Edo AG, Lawyers Back Full Jail Terms for Terrorism Convicts

Former Edo State Attorney General, Dr Samson Osagie, and other legal practitioners have called for persons convicted under Nigeria's Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 to serve their full prison terms without benefiting from presidential clemency or sentence reductions. They argued that stricter enforcement of terrorism laws is necessary to deter future offences and strengthen national security.

Osagie said growing public concern over the possibility of convicted terrorists receiving amnesty or executive pardon makes it necessary to amend the Terrorism Act to expressly bar such convicts from benefiting from presidential clemency. He also urged the National Assembly to amend Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants the President the prerogative of mercy, to exclude persons convicted of terrorism-related offences.

Also speaking, former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Young Lawyers Forum, Uwomano Aki, described terrorism as a direct attack on Nigeria's sovereignty and security, insisting that convicts found guilty after a fair trial should not ordinarily qualify for executive pardon. While acknowledging the constitutional powers of the President, he said such authority should be exercised with extreme caution in terrorism cases.

Similarly, Nigerian Bar Association member Adaobi Fortune maintained that any consideration of amnesty for terrorism convicts must be guided solely by national interest rather than sentiment. She stressed that even where international obligations make clemency necessary, Nigeria's security and the protection of its citizens should remain the overriding priority.

President of the African Women Lawyers Association, Amanda Demechi-Asagba, noted that the current law already makes it difficult for terrorism convicts serving life sentences to regain their freedom. However, she proposed further amendments requiring convicted terrorists to spend at least 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for any form of clemency, saying such reforms would reassure Nigerians of the government's commitment to combating terrorism.