In this similitude, I strongly urge and appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, the father of the nation that as a matter of utmost national importance, he should extend forgiveness to agitators, repentant terrorists and bandits who are up in arms against the state.
As the principalem repraesentativum and numerus unus civis of the Nigerian State, it is well within his right to show clemency.
I, therefore, implore him to give heed to the timeless message of that Shakespearean character, Portia, who eloquently waxed thus in Act 4, Scene 1 of the classical work, The Merchant of Venice:
“The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice.”
This intervention should not in any way be construed as suggesting an end to military operations in the affected states across Nigeria and especially in the northern region.
The psychological dimension of the warfare presumes that the Nigerian military can ramp up their operations by paying close attention to the current disposition of some of the already fatigued terrorists and their leaders.
This of course is in line with the de-radicalisation efforts of the military and beyond these efforts, it is suggested that the President can change the narrative of the war by offering a one-time peace-pact to some identified leaders and financial sponsors of terrorism as well as leaders of secession movements in Nigeria such as IPOB and Ilana Omo Oodua.
Kayode Ajulo
kayodeAjulo@castleoflaw.com
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state… October 1st: FG issues security alert ahead of celebration
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report… October 1st: FG issues security alert ahead of celebration
[ICYMI] Lekki Shootings: Why We Lied About Our Presence — General Taiwo
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the killings at Lekki Toll Gate, on Saturday resumed viewing of the 24hrs footage of the October 20, 2020 shooting of #EndSARS protesters by personnel of the Nigerian Army…
ICYMI: How We Carried Out The 1993 Nigerian Airways Hijack —Ogunderu
On Monday, October 25, 1993, in the heat of June 12 annulment agitations, four Nigerian youngsters, Richard Ajibola Ogunderu, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi and Kenny Razak-Lawal, did the unthinkable! They hijacked an Abuja-bound aircraft, the Nigerian Airways airbus A310, and diverted it to Niger Republic. How did they so it? Excerpts…
“Without allowing local governments to have autonomy, we cannot address poverty or employment in Nigeria.…
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has dismissed defection rumours…
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has elected new national
Nigerians who wish to correct their NIN date of birth on the National Identification Number…
" failure of leadership in Nigeria in the past has caused the nation a lot…
Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brig. Gen. Bello Abdullahi (Rtd), has assured that Niger…
This website uses cookies.