The Leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for granting clemency to individuals convicted of serious crimes, describing the action as a setback to Nigeria’s fight against crime.
In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, the cleric faulted the president’s decision to pardon persons sentenced to death and life imprisonment for offences including drug trafficking, murder, and human trafficking.
Primate Ayodele said the move undermines the work of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other security operatives who risked their lives to bring the offenders to justice.
“Why must he pardon criminals, cocaine pushers? It’s like wasting the efforts of security operatives who arrested them. These criminals will continue to cause problems in society; you can’t separate them from crime,” he said.
He further questioned why Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), remains in detention without sentencing while convicted criminals are being pardoned.
“Now, since he released these people, why then is Nnamdi Kanu still in detention after several years? If those convicted of crimes as severe as murder and drug trafficking can be pardoned, then Nnamdi Kanu should also be released,” Ayodele stated.
The cleric also advised the president to dismiss unhelpful advisers, particularly those handling security and economic matters.
“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 added.
