MURIC Demands Death Penalty, Seven-Day Execution for Convicted Terrorists

By Opeyemi Adelakun

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to introduce stricter punishment for terrorism, urging authorities to impose the death penalty on anyone convicted of participating in terrorist activities and ensure such sentences are carried out within seven days.

The group said the current approach to prosecuting terrorism does not go far enough to deter violent extremism, insisting that swift execution of convicted terrorists would strengthen Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.

MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the demand in a statement issued on Wednesday while reacting to the recent sentencing of two terrorism convicts.

The organisation’s position follows Monday’s judgment by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who sentenced Abubakar Abba and Mahmud Usman to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of terrorism-related offences.

Reacting to the verdict, Akintola described the life sentences as insufficient, arguing that individuals convicted of terrorism should face capital punishment instead.

 “We therefore demand the death penalty for any terrorist found guilty of active participation in terror attacks,” Akintola said.

He further urged the Federal Government to put the necessary legal framework in place to ensure that anyone sentenced to death for terrorism is executed within seven days of the court’s judgment.

According to him, allowing convicted terrorists to remain in correctional facilities poses additional security risks, warning that they could continue to influence or coordinate criminal activities from prison.

Akintola also maintained that terrorists are hardened criminals whose continued incarceration alongside other inmates could create further security concerns, stressing that stronger punitive measures would serve as a deterrent to terrorism and reinforce national security efforts.

MURIC called on the Federal Government and relevant authorities to review existing laws governing terrorism-related offences to accommodate the proposed sanctions.