Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has called on President Bola Tinubu to stop what he described as undue sympathy and pardon for terrorists operating in Nigeria.
Adeyanju’s reaction followed reports that the United States carried out airstrikes against terrorist camps in Northern Nigeria on Christmas Day.
The operation was approved by United States President Donald Trump, who described it as a decisive move against ISIS elements active in the country.
Trump said the strikes were aimed at halting the killing of Christians in Northern Nigeria and curbing what he termed sustained violence by extremist groups.
In a post on Truth Social, the US President disclosed that American forces bombed ISIS hideouts in Northwest Nigeria, accusing the group of murdering innocent people over several years.
He added that his administration would not allow extremist Islamic organisations to thrive or gain ground.
Reacting to the development, Adeyanju commended Trump’s action and urged the Nigerian government to abandon any form of protection, pardon, or reconciliation programmes for terrorists, insisting that tougher measures were urgently needed.
Posting on X, the activist maintained that Nigerian leaders must stop treating terrorists with leniency and end initiatives he said amounted to organised forgiveness.
Adeyanju wrote: “All hail President Donald Trump. Dear Nigerian government & @officialABAT the time to stop pampering terrorists and organizing forgiveness ceremonies for them is now.”