The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has explained why the Nigerian military is open to giving terrorists an opportunity to surrender and repent instead of immediately resorting to lethal force.

Speaking on Tuesday during the Nigerian Armed Forces’ inaugural lecture held at the Joint Doctrine Centre in Abuja, Oluyede addressed concerns from Nigerians questioning why security forces do not simply eliminate terrorists, especially after d+adly att@cks.

“People are asking why are we not killing terrorists even if they have killed others. Well, even in the Bible, the prodigal son was given a chance, so we should give terrorists a chance to repent if they want to,” he said.

He added that the approach is also based on the fact that many of those involved are Nigerians, and giving them a chance could help reduce violence.

“Cause these are Nigerians mostly so it is important for us to give them that window to repent rather than pushing them to the extreme that it’s either we kill you or you continue with your adventure,” Oluyede stated.