Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and University of Lagos law lecturer, Dr. Wahab Shittu, has called for the retention of the death penalty for convicted terrorists in Nigeria, arguing that terrorism is a grave crime against humanity that should continue to attract the highest punishment permitted under the law.
Shittu made the remarks during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, following the Federal High Court’s sentencing of three individuals convicted over the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment.
The judgment has reignited debate over whether Nigeria’s terrorism laws should prescribe stiffer penalties for those convicted of terrorism-related offences.
According to the legal scholar, the life sentences handed down by the court should not be interpreted as judicial leniency, stressing that judges are bound by the provisions of existing legislation and cannot impose punishments beyond what the law allows.
He urged the National Assembly to review the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act to ensure that all persons involved in terrorist activities—including those who finance, aid or facilitate such crimes—face uniform and tougher sanctions.
Shittu maintained that while public calls for harsher punishment are understandable, the judiciary must operate strictly within the statutory framework until lawmakers amend the law.
He described terrorism as an offence that inflicts devastating human, economic and infrastructural losses, insisting that punishments must be severe enough to discourage future attacks.
The Senior Advocate also pointed to the conviction of two Niger Republic nationals among the suspects as evidence that terrorism is a cross-border threat requiring stronger regional and international collaboration.
He said combating terrorism demands coordinated efforts involving neighbouring countries, intelligence agencies and international partners, adding that the burden should not rest solely on the courts.
Shittu commended judges specially assigned to terrorism cases as well as the Attorney-General of the Federation for ensuring that terrorism suspects are prosecuted rather than remaining in prolonged detention without trial.
He argued that effective criminal justice depends on certainty of punishment, warning that terrorism and other violent crimes would continue to flourish if offenders do not face meaningful consequences.
While advocating capital punishment for convicted terrorists, Shittu stressed that any sentence must follow a fair trial conducted in accordance with constitutional guarantees and internationally recognised human rights standards.
He noted that where due process is observed, courts should be empowered to impose the maximum penalty for acts that threaten lives, destroy property and undermine national security.
Beyond prosecution, the legal expert called for stronger border security, improved intelligence gathering, enhanced forensic and digital investigative capacity, and greater international cooperation to dismantle terrorist networks and their sources of funding.
He also urged the Federal Government to establish a Victims Trust Fund to compensate and rehabilitate victims of terrorism and their families, arguing that convictions alone do not amount to complete justice.
On negotiations with terrorists and kidnappers, Shittu maintained that government should resist yielding to their demands, warning that doing so could weaken the state’s constitutional responsibility to protect lives and maintain public security.
He concluded that although Nigerians may demand stricter punishment for terrorism, any change in sentencing can only come through legislative amendments.
According to him, judges cannot create new punishments but are obliged to apply the law as enacted until the relevant provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act are revised.
