By Tunji Braimoh, Abuja

Security sources have argued that allowing two convicted Ansaru commanders to serve life imprisonment instead of facing the full weight of the law would deny justice to the families of two teachers from Oriire who were brutally beheaded during their abduction.

According to the sources, the murdered teachers lost their lives after their captors allegedly sought to pressure authorities into securing the release of the two insurgent leaders.

“The terrorists beheaded the two Oriire teachers in an attempt to force the government to release these two Ansaru commanders,” a security official said.

The official maintained that reducing the punishment to life imprisonment would fail to reflect the gravity of the crime and the suffering inflicted on the victims’ families.

“It would be difficult to justify a situation where two innocent people were murdered in such a gruesome manner, while those linked to the incident are allowed to escape the ultimate penalty prescribed by law. The families of the victims deserve justice, and those responsible must be held fully accountable,” the official added.

The source stressed that any decision regarding the fate of the convicted men should take into account the devastating impact of the killings on the victims’ relatives and the broader need to deter acts of terrorism and hostage-related violence.