By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to launch a nationwide, intelligence-driven offensive against terrorists and kidnappers operating in the country’s forests, insisting that criminal groups must not be allowed to control any part of Nigeria’s territory.
The rights group made the call on Saturday while commending the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters and vigilantes for rescuing nine kidnapped victims and killing three suspected bandits during a coordinated operation in Kwara State.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the operation as proof that Nigeria’s security agencies possess the capacity to defeat criminal gangs when intelligence is effectively coordinated and security forces work in synergy.
The association, however, warned against treating the Kwara operation as an isolated success, noting that hundreds of Nigerians remain in captivity in various terrorist camps across the country.
According to HURIWA, every successful rescue operation should be followed by a broader nationwide campaign aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and freeing all hostages.
”It is unacceptable that criminal gangs can establish camps, move abducted citizens across forests, negotiate ransoms and continue to threaten communities while families wait endlessly for news of their loved ones,” the group said.
It expressed concern that terrorists and kidnappers continue to attack communities, schools, farms and travellers with little resistance, creating the impression that parts of Nigeria’s forests have become safe havens for criminal organisations.
The group argued that the persistence of kidnapping despite increased spending on defence and security highlights the need for a comprehensive review of the country’s security architecture.
HURIWA called on the Federal Government to expand the deployment of advanced surveillance technologies, including long-range drones, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence-assisted intelligence analysis, geospatial mapping, electronic intelligence systems and aerial reconnaissance platforms to detect terrorist camps before attacks occur.
It also urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence sharing and establish unified operational command structures capable of coordinating simultaneous rescue operations across multiple flashpoints.
The association further stressed the need to disrupt the financial networks sustaining terrorism and kidnapping, calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies to intensify investigations into suspected financiers of criminal groups.
According to HURIWA, cutting off financial flows, exposing sponsors where evidence exists and dismantling logistics networks are critical to winning the war against terrorism.
The group expressed concern over reports that many Nigerians remain in captivity in parts of Kwara, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Southern Kaduna, among other states.
It therefore urged President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to convene the nation’s security chiefs and immediately order a coordinated nationwide rescue mission involving the Armed Forces, the DSS, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies.
”The success recorded in Kwara proves that when intelligence is timely, agencies collaborate effectively and operational decisions are decisive, terrorists can be confronted and innocent lives can be saved.
”There is no reason why such coordinated operations cannot be replicated simultaneously across every kidnapping hotspot in Nigeria,” HURIWA said.
The association warned that prolonged captivity of victims continues to erode public confidence, disrupt economic activities, discourage farming and commerce and inflict severe psychological trauma on affected families.
It urged the President to treat the rescue of all Nigerians held by terrorists as a national emergency, insisting that Nigeria must never surrender any part of its territory to criminal organisations.
”Nigeria cannot and must never concede any part of its territory to criminal organisations. Terrorists must not be allowed to dictate the security narrative, undermine national sovereignty or keep innocent citizens in captivity with impunity,” the statement added.
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