Hon Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the House of Representatives representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency in Plateau State, has called for the death penalty for insurgents and other violent criminals who deliberately take another person's life. He opposed the rehabilitation of such individuals, arguing that execution is a more appropriate punishment than rehabilitation.
Gagdi's Stance on Rehabilitation
Speaking on Silverbird Rhythm 93.7 FM in Jos on Saturday, July 4, 2026, as reported by Daily Trust, Gagdi stated, "So why should I believe in rehabilitation? Anybody who kills should be killed. Simple. If we had been doing that, it would have reduced the problem to the barest minimum." He insisted that public funds should not be spent on rehabilitating killers of innocent citizens and that terrorists should not benefit from such initiatives.
Concerns Over Trust and Security
Gagdi argued that the rehabilitation policy undermines justice and fails to deter criminality. He claimed that some security operatives have reservations about working alongside rehabilitated terrorists. "In some instances, the security agencies are refusing operations because they don't even trust the rehabilitated Boko Haram members that are among them. There are instances where those so-called rehabilitated people are the same people giving information to the criminals on how to ambush convoys of security agencies," he alleged.
Government's Rehabilitation Programme
In contrast, the Defence Headquarters announced that 117 repentant terrorists from Borno state completed the Deradicalization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) programme under Operation Safe Corridor. Brig Gen Y Ali, Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, confirmed the completion of the rehabilitation process at Mallam Sidi Camp and disclosed the programme's expansion to the North West. Gen Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff, reaffirmed that structured rehabilitation and reintegration remained vital to sustaining Nigeria's security gains.
Cost of Rehabilitation and Trials
Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian government spent N1.4 billion on rehabilitating repentant terrorists and setting up trial facilities over 18 months. Secret trials at the Kainji Detention Facility convicted 325 terrorists, drawing mixed reactions from security experts and civil society groups. Critics question the transparency of the trials, while supporters defend them as necessary for national security and due process.
