When Nigeria’s Leaders Call Terrorists “Peacemakers”: The Dangerous Normalisation of Banditry By FEMI OYEWALE

In a country bleeding from years of insurgency, mass abductions, jihadist expansion, and rural terror, one would expect political leaders to speak with clarity, courage, and conviction. But in today’s Nigeria, many officeholders have chosen a dangerous path: romanticising terrorists, legitimising bandits, and publicly describing armed killers as “our brothers,” “misunderstood youths,” or even “commanders of peace.”

This is not just reckless rhetoric — it is a national tragedy unfolding in real time.

 

FROM BANDITS TO ‘STAKEHOLDERS’: THE NEW POLITICAL LANGUAGE OF APPEASEMENT

Over the past five years, Nigerians have witnessed a disturbing linguistic and political shift. Terms that should be unequivocal — terrorists, jihadists, criminal gangs, bandit militias — are quietly being replaced with softer, sanitised labels in official statements.

Suddenly, men who burn villages, abduct schoolchildren, rape women, ambush soldiers, and extort helpless communities are being presented as:

Repentant fighters

Peace ambassadors

Community partners

Aggrieved citizens

Negotiators

Commanders of peace

This rebranding is not accidental. It is politically convenient, financially motivated, and rooted in a mixture of fear, corruption, and shortsighted calculations.

 

THE COST OF NORMALISING VIOLENCE

Security experts warn that elevating militants to the status of “partners” has three devastating consequences:

1. Terrorists Gain Political Legitimacy

Armed groups suddenly become power brokers — issuing conditions, attending negotiations, and influencing local governance.
Crimes against humanity evaporate with a handshake and a press conference.

2. Citizens Lose Trust in the State

Families who lost loved ones to bandits watch in disbelief as politicians pose for photos with the same men who destroyed their communities.
This deepens resentment, erodes confidence, and fractures national unity.

3. Violence Becomes Profitable

Once bandits realise that killing, kidnapping, and terrorising civilians earn them government attention — and in some cases, financial incentives — they escalate attacks to strengthen their bargaining position.

 

THE POLITICIANS WHO COURT BANDITS

From northern lawmakers openly advocating amnesty for bandits, to state governors hosting “peace talks” with armed killers in luxury hotels, the message is unmistakable:

Crime pays.
Violence pays more.
Terrorism pays best.

For some political actors, bandits serve useful purposes:

Useful for controlling restive communities

Useful for influencing elections

Useful as bargaining chips with federal authorities

Useful for sustaining patronage networks that flourish in chaos

And so, the cycle is sustained — deliberately or otherwise.

 

THE HYPOCRISY: NIGERIA PAMPERS TERRORISTS BUT PUNISHES PROTESTERS

The double standard is glaring.

While bandits are called “brothers”, young Nigerians protesting peacefully for police reform are branded “troublemakers,” “instigators,” or “security threats.”

While terrorists who kill soldiers receive cash, accommodation, and reintegration packages, unemployed graduates who join peaceful demonstrations face arrests, court charges, or brutal crackdowns.

This contradiction exposes the moral erosion at the heart of governance.

 

A NATION REBRANDING ITS OWN ENEMIES

Nigeria remains one of the few nations where:

Terrorists are defended by politicians

Bandits receive state escorts

Jihadists attend negotiation tables

Militants are prioritised over their victims

Leaders publicly introduce criminals as “partners in peace”

It is a bleak reflection of a nation losing its moral compass — and its ability to clearly distinguish right from wrong.

 

THE REAL TRUTH: THERE CAN BE NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE

Experts agree: appeasement does not stop terrorism — it strengthens it.

Countries that successfully defeated insurgencies did not do so by massaging the egos of killers. They relied on:

Strong political will

Professional, intelligence-driven operations

Community-based security networks

Economic development initiatives

Zero tolerance for armed groups

Until Nigeria returns to these principles, the crisis will continue to deepen.

 

NIGERIA MUST STOP HONOURING THOSE WHO DESTROY IT

Every time a leader calls a bandit a “commander of peace,” Nigeria loses a piece of its soul.
Every time a terrorist is rewarded instead of prosecuted, the nation’s moral foundation collapses further.

The truth is simple — and painful:

No country has ever achieved peace by flattering its executioners.

Nigeria must choose:
Stand with its citizens, or stand with their tormentors.
The nation’s future depends on this choice.