The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to introduce stricter punishment for terrorism, insisting that anyone convicted of participating in terrorist activities should face the death penalty.
The group also urged the government to ensure that such convicts are executed within seven days after judgment, saying the necessary legal framework should be put in place to make this possible.
MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the demand in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 22, while reacting to the sentencing of two convicted terrorists, Abubakar Abba and Mahmud Usman.
The two men were sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja after being found guilty of terrorism-related offences.
However, Akintola described the punishment as inadequate, arguing that life imprisonment does not reflect the gravity of terrorist crimes.
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According to him, terrorists are “hardened and merciless criminals” who should be permanently removed from society.
He further warned that housing convicted terrorists alongside other inmates in correctional facilities poses a serious security risk, alleging that they could continue coordinating attacks from prison.
“We therefore demand the death penalty for any terrorist found guilty of active participation in terror attacks,” Akintola said.
He added that, “in view of the tendency of terrorists to plan attacks from correctional facilities, MURIC demands that terrorists sentenced to death must be executed within seven days of the judgement. We therefore demand the death penalty for any terrorist found guilty of active participation in terror attacks.”