The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has likened terrorists killing and wreaking havoc in North-East Nigeria to the biblical prodigal son, stating that they deserve rehabilitation because they are citizens.

Mr Oluyede spoke at the Armed Forces inaugural lecture for the newly established Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre (JDWC) at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre in Abuja.

“Talking about Operation Safe Corridor, so many people have asked that question: why do we need to rehabilitate criminals? They all should be killed because they have killed people. Well, that may make sense,” Mr Oluyede said. 

Comparing terrorists to the prodigal son, who took his portion of inheritance from his father, left home, squandered it, and returned home to his father, Mr Oluyede argued that it is important to allow terrorists to repent of their own volition rather than killing them.

“But even in the Bible, we heard about the prodigal son. If there was not that window for the man to come back, would they have come back?” Mr Oluyede asked.

“So the point is that these are Nigerians, mostly. And it’s important for us to give them that window to repent, if they want, rather than pushing them to the extreme. To say, okay, ‘It’s either we kill you, or you continue with the adventure.’

“I think it is important for us to make people understand, especially the National Assembly, because as we speak now, everything about the safe corridor is being given by the defence headquarters,” Mr Oluyede said.

Mr Oluyede’s comparison of rampaging terrorists to the prodigal son has sparked reactions from Nigerians on social media.

An X user, @Naija_Realtalk, said, “Giving terrorists a ‘biblical chance’ while citizens die on our soil is not mercy—it’s a policy of pain. Repentance is personal; security is the government’s duty. Nigeria cannot wait for morality to catch up with murder.”

Another user, @akindology, also condemned Mr Oluyede’s remarks and accused the government of unwillingness to protect citizens.

“I am trying with everything in me not to accept this. Unfortunately is it real. How can someone confirmed to have killed, displaced, and dehumanised citizens be treated with such dignity? This government is not ready and is unwilling to protect its citizens,” @akindology said.

Also, @emini_lanre on X said, “This is nothing but an encouragement to the average Nigerian to commit evil, disturb the peace of communities, shed blood, and inflict pain on powerless and unarmed people, knowing fully well they may still be given a second chance to live as if they committed nothing. Ah!”

“This is the chief of army defence staff? Does this man know the reason for his position? If we are using the Bible to forgive everyone, then what’s the need for the army? Let pastors be handling the security of the nation since it’s forgiveness that’s being used. Very funny, Joker,” @iamrichygold said.

Mr Oluyede’s appeal for the rehabilitation of terrorists comes over a decade after terrorists have continued killing and abducting citizens.

A recent attack in Borno left over 20 dead, while the Nigerian government reportedly paid N10 billion to secure the release of schoolchildren abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, according to AFP.

In 2014, Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped over 270 school girls in Chibok, a community in Borno State, a development widely condemned across the globe. 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in June reported that  Boko Haram terrorists have killed over 350,000 peoplein the North-East, of whom 90 per cent were children, since they took up arms against Nigeria in 2009.