Nigeria’s AGF “Ignorant Of” Death Penalty For Terrorists Law
The frustration on why Nigeria could possibly continue to fail to give death sentences to murderous Boko Haram terrorists while it sentences robbers and others to death, was cemented today as the Attorney General of the federation denied the prescription of death for murderous terrorists.
As reported in the news, Mallam Abubakar Malami, the AGF told Amnesty International guests that “convicted members of the Boko Haram sect in the country could not be executed because the laws under which they were tried did not prescribe death sentence.”
It is criminally perplexing to realize that Nigeria’s young AGF does not know the law or chooses to disregard it to selectively “protect” Takfiri Boko Haram terrorists.
Nigeria’s Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011 as amended in 2013, Part 1, subsection 4 states:
“(2) without prejudice to sub-section (2) of this section, where death results from any terrorist act, the penalty shall be death sentence.”
It is explicitly stated: death for terrorists who kill.
In February of 2013 a Senate session unanimously resolved on the “Bill for an Act to amend the Terrorism (prevention) Act, 2012,” brought forward by its Conference Committee during plenary, that there was no alternative to punishing terrorism offenders than death. [See Vanguard, February 20, 2013: Senate okays death penalty for terrorists]
- Related: NewsRescue-Cameroon Sentences 89 Boko Haram Fighters to Death, Unlike Nigeria Which Gives Them Life
While Nigeria’s armed forces has demonstrated its willingness to act pre-meditatively on several occasions, as the new primary law enforces ahead of the police, in Abia and Zaria, assuming the role of judge, jury and executioner, granting immediate death sentences to Nigerian protesting and praying youth, it is perplexing to see that the Attorney General of the federation expected to intervene with immediate probes in cases of suspected actual violations, rather positions himself selectively in protection of Boko Haram terrorists in clear violation of Nigeria’s laws.
Nigeria is making camps for “repentant” Boko Haram terrorists. Under the AGF and the current heads of Security, with the above thinking, will terrorists who have killed human beings be not only spared death in violation of the law of the land and laws of God, but even be released to walk among regular people?
Who can call the AGF to order?
Dr. Peregrino Brimah; @EveryNigerian
