Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has criticised calls for the execution of repentant insurgents and secessionists, arguing that such actions violate both religious teachings and international law.
Drivetvnews gathered In a Facebook post on Friday, Gumi reacted to the Senate’s recent resolution urging the Federal Government to halt the rehabilitation of repentant terrorists and instead prosecute individuals found guilty of terrorism and related offences.
According to him, executing repentant insurgents, secessionists, or prisoners of war is morally unacceptable and runs contrary to established legal and religious principles.
He also warned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is closely monitoring such developments, urging authorities to consider both legal and spiritual consequences in handling security-related cases.
Gumi maintained that adopting the same methods used by terrorist groups only weakens the moral justification for fighting insecurity and stressed that emotions should not dictate decisions in counterterrorism efforts.
“Killing repentant insurgents, secessionists and prisoners of war is against religious and international law. The ICC is watching if you do not fear Allah. Terrorists use the same logic to justify killing others. Wars cannot be won through emotions,” he said.
Earlier this week, the Senate resolved that individuals convicted of terrorism and other organised criminal offences should be prosecuted without delay rather than rehabilitated, insisting that justice must be served to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The lawmakers adopted the resolution as part of broader measures aimed at addressing the country’s growing security challenges.
