Primate Elijah Ayodele, head of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, stated on Sunday that individuals apprehended for kidnapping or terrorism should face immediate execution rather than trial in court. He believes this is the only effective path to curbing these crimes.
Through his spokesperson, Osho Oluwatosin, the Primate urged the Nigerian authorities to stop relying on judicial proceedings for such offenders, arguing that these criminals rarely face appropriate consequences under the current legal system. He further suggested that any individuals involved in negotiating with these groups, including governors who provide ransom payments, should also face arrest.
Ayodele expressed support for the Minister of Defence’s shoot-on-sight directive and praised the military’s ongoing operations. He recommended that President Tinubu grant national honors to military personnel to recognize their service in the fight against insecurity. Additionally, he warned that poorly funded private security firms could eventually evolve into threats themselves, suggesting that local hunters be better organized within rural territories instead.
Finally, the religious leader issued a plea for the state to provide maximum protection for Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo in Plateau state, warning that any harm to the cleric would be perceived as a major act of Christian genocide.
