The Campaign for Democracy has kicked against the life imprisonment passed by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on two top commanders of the proscribed Ansaru terror group, Mahmud Usman Mukhtar, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru and Abubakar Abba aka Mahmud al-Nigeri Malam Mamuda, on Monday.

The CD said the court’s judgement amounted to “a miscarriage of proportional justice.”

The pro-democracy and human rights organisation, in a statement by its National President, Rev. Ifeanyi Odili, said after the convicts pleaded guilty to 32-count charge relating to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and acts of war against the Nigerian state, the court’s decision to impose life imprisonment grossly trivialised the blood of thousands of Nigerians murdered, maimed and displaced by the Ansaru terror group and its affiliates.

The CD argued that the life jail punishment meted to the convicts was “too lenient,” stressing that terrorism is a crime against humanity and the Nigerian state and must be punished by the maximum sentence of death.

Citing Section 12 (1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, which provides that “a person who commits an act of terrorism is liable on conviction to death,” and Section 17(1), which prescribes life imprisonment for persons who fund, aid or abet terrorism, the CD argued that “when commanders who planned, directed and executed terror operations plead guilty to 32-count charge, the law contemplates the highest deterrent,” adding, “a mere life sentence signals weakness and invites more bloodshed.

“We must not forget that in the course of operations to degrade Ansaru and similar groups, the Nigerian Army has lost some of its finest officers and soldiers — men and women who paid the supreme price defending our sovereignty. 

“To sentence their killers to anything less than the maximum penalty is to dishonor their sacrifice and rub salt on the wounds of grieving families and the Armed Forces.”

The human rights organisation further stated that justice must be seen to be done for the victims, stressing that, “victims’ families, including the families of fallen military personnel, deserve to see that the State value their lives enough to apply the maximum penalty. 

“Anything less is an insult to their memory and a betrayal of Section 14(2)(b) which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

The CD warned that leniency emboldened terrorists, stressing that according to international best practices and even the Nigerian Supreme Court, in such matters of national security, courts must consider deterrence.

“The judiciary has emphasised that terrorism must be met with the full force of the law. To do otherwise is to tell every insurgent that Nigeria’s justice system can be negotiated with,” the statement said.

The CD, therefore, expressed full support for the decision of the Department of State Services (DSS) to appeal the life sentence imposed on the two terror commanders, urging the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to ensure the appeal seeks an upward review of the maximum penalty prescribed by law for terrorists.

The statement added, “we call on the Judiciary to interpret the Terrorism Act purposively — to protect society, not to coddle those who have declared war on it and murdered our troops.

“We urge the National Assembly to conduct an oversight review to ensure that plea bargains in terrorism cases do not undermine national security or disrespect the memory of fallen heroes.

“We stand with the victims, the Armed Forces, and the DSS who risk their lives daily. They deserve a justice system that fights as hard as they do.”

The CD noted that “Nigeria is at war with terror,” adding, “in war, justice cannot be soft. The law must not only be done, it must be seen to be done without fear or favor — that is the standard.”

The human rights organisation therefore vowed not to “keep silent while those who spill Nigerians’ blood, including the blood of our gallant soldiers, are given sentences that fail to reflect the weight of their atrocities. 

“We demand justice that heals, justice that deters, and justice that protects the living and honours the dead.

“The blood of our people and our soldiers cries out. The law must answer.”