The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu for granting state pardon to individuals convicted of serious crimes, including drug trafficking, murder, and human trafficking.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele described the move as a complete waste of the efforts made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security operatives who risked their lives to arrest and prosecute the offenders.
Ayodele condemns presidential pardon
According to him, releasing such individuals back into society could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile security situation.
Ayodele said: “Why must he pardon criminals, cocaine pushers? It’s just like wasting the efforts of these security operatives to arrest these criminals. These criminals will continue to cause issues in society; you can’t separate them from crime.”
Calls for Nnamdi Kanu’s release
The cleric argued that it was unjust to pardon hardened criminals while Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), remains in detention without sentencing after several years.
He noted that if individuals already convicted and sentenced to death or life imprisonment could be granted clemency, then Kanu’s case, which has not reached sentencing, should not be treated differently.
“Now, since he released these people, why then is Nnamdi Kanu in detention for several years? If these people can be pardoned despite some of their crimes, Nnamdi Kanu should be pardoned too.
“Release Nnamdi Kanu as you have pardoned other people that have even been sentenced to death and life imprisonment. It’s absolutely wrong and will affect your government,” Ayodele stated.
Warns Tinubu against bad advisers
Primate Ayodele also urged President Tinubu to distance himself from unhelpful advisers, particularly those guiding him on economic and security matters.
He cautioned that such advisers could mislead the president and damage his administration’s credibility.
“Tinubu should do away with bad advisers, both on the economy and security. They are disappointing and don’t mean well for him. He needs to be very proactive,” he warned.