Bello El-Rufai: It's Wrong Nnamdi Kanu got Life Sentence While Terrorists Got 20 Years
- Hon. Muhammad Bello El-Rufai criticised the judicial system for giving IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu a life sentence while other Boko Haram members received only 20 years
- He warned that inconsistent justice delivery worsens insecurity, and stressed the need for proper execution of security plans and improved policing
- El-Rufai advocated for decentralised policing, state police, involvement of traditional leaders, and youth development to reduce crime and radicalisation in Northern Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria - A member representing Kaduna North federal constituency, Hon. Muhammad Bello El-Rufai, has raised concerns over what he described as a glaring disparity in Nigeria’s judicial system.
Speaking during plenary, El-Rufai questioned why the proscribed IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu was handed a life sentence while Boko Haram member Hussaini Ismail received only 20 years for the same crime.
Source: Twitter
The Kaduna lawmaker warned that inconsistencies in justice delivery risk worsening Nigeria’s fragile security climate.
“I don’t understand why one terrorist gets 20 years and the other gets life. There’s this idea that justice is served differently, and it affects the problem,” El-Rufai said.
He argued that disparity in punishment feeds public perception that the judicial system treats groups and regions differently, an issue he said must be urgently addressed if the government hopes to win public trust in its fight against insecurity.
Execution, not announcements, is the challenge
While backing President Bola Tinubu's recently announced security plans, El-Rufai emphasised that the real issue is execution.
He also called for immediate improvements in policing, including better salaries and welfare for officers, highlighting the dangerously low police-to-citizen ratio.
El-Rufai said:
“Our problem is not announcing plans; it’s executing them with clear timelines. This parliament must insist on those timelines,”
“At present, one police officer is managing 600 Nigerians. The UN recommends a ratio of 1 to 400. We must find the money to fix this.”
El-Rufai calls for decentralised policing
El-Rufai reiterated his long-standing call for decentralised policing, arguing that security operations cannot be effectively coordinated from Abuja alone.
He advocated for state police and the involvement of traditional leaders in local security efforts.
“Beyond recruitment, we urgently need to increase the basic salary and welfare of police officers and soldiers, and we must find the money to do so”
Source: Twitter
The member further highlighted the neglect of Northern youth, noting that unemployment and lack of education leave many vulnerable to crime and radicalisation.
“We are not sending our children to school. Young people have no employment and no skills because we have neglected them for years,” he lamented.
He also criticised the glamorization of criminal life on social media, citing viral videos of bandits flaunting cash as an example.
El-Rufai: We are failing in our primary duty
In a pointed critique of Nigeria’s political leadership, El-Rufai said the Nigerian leaders and politicians are failing to fo their duties responsibly.
He urged the National Assembly to implement transparent, digitised recruitment into security agencies, prioritising capable young Nigerians motivated by service.
“We rely on you, Mr. Speaker, and the constitutional review committee. Roll out state police in this country. We can talk about FDI and investments, but we are failing in our primary duty, to protect the people we serve.” He said
State police: Tinubu writes Senate, reps
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has urged the National Assembly to amend the constitution to allow states ready to have state police to go ahead.
This president made the call while declaring a state of emergency over the country's insecurity.
This came amid renewed attacks by bandits in different parts of the country, particularly the northern region.
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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
