The Chief of the INRI Evangelical Non secular Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for granting clemency to people convicted of significant crimes, describing the motion as a setback to Nigeria’s combat in opposition to crime.
In an announcement launched on Tuesday and signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric faulted the president’s determination to pardon individuals sentenced to dying and life imprisonment for offences together with drug trafficking, homicide, and human trafficking.
Primate Ayodele mentioned the transfer undermines the work of the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) and different safety operatives who risked their lives to carry the offenders to justice.
“Why should he pardon criminals, cocaine pushers? It’s like losing the efforts of safety operatives who arrested them. These criminals will proceed to trigger issues in society; you’ll be able to’t separate them from crime,” he mentioned.
He additional questioned why Nnamdi Kanu, chief of the Indigenous Individuals of Biafra (IPOB), stays in detention with out sentencing whereas convicted criminals are being pardoned.
“Now, since he launched these folks, why then is Nnamdi Kanu nonetheless in detention after a number of years? If these convicted of crimes as extreme as homicide and drug trafficking could be pardoned, then Nnamdi Kanu must also be launched,” Ayodele said.
The cleric additionally suggested the president to dismiss unhelpful advisers, notably these dealing with safety and {economic} issues.
“Tinubu ought to get rid of unhealthy advisers, each on the economic system and safety. They’re disappointing and don’t imply nicely for him. He must be very proactive,” he added.