Member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North federal constituency of Kaduna State, Bello El-Rufai, has questioned the sentencing of convicted terrorists in Nigeria.
According to him, the inconsistency in sentencing criminals points to a lack of transparency in the judicial system.
Bello, while speaking during a debate at the House plenary on Thursday, cited the recent conviction of an Ansaru terrorist group member identified as Husseini Ismail, who was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and compared it with the life sentence handed to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
He said, “There was a conviction recently of a terrorist, Boko Haram, I believe his name is Husseini Ismail. He was convicted for 20 years by a high court. He was a Boko Haram terrorist. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was convicted, I think last week, and his own conviction was a life sentence.
“I don’t understand why one terrorist is getting 20 years, and the other is getting a life sentence? I think Pastor (referring to a fellow lawmaker) made a good point, there’s this idea that justice is served differently, and it affects the problem.”
The lawmaker, while commending President Bola Tinubu for unveiling a comprehensive national security overhaul, urged the National Assembly to ensure that the executive arm followed through with clear timelines and measurable execution plans.
“The president has rolled out a clear plan that we commend. Many of my colleagues have rightly spoken about this, and I agree. But our problem is not in making plans, it’s in executing them with clear timelines.
“This parliament must insist upon those timelines based on the president’s recommendations,” he insisted.
Bello, the son of the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, stressed the urgent need to improve the welfare and salaries of security personnel, noting that Nigeria was severely understaffed compared to global standards.
“One police officer manages 600 Nigerians. The UN recommends a ratio of 1 to 400. We are understaffed, the president has tackled that, that’s one point in terms of a short-term solution.
“But we must increase immediately the basic salaries and welfare of police officers and soldiers, and we must find the money to do that,” he added.
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