The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has declared that Nigeria has reached a defining moment in its fight against terrorism, banditry and mass kidnapping, warning that the Federal Government must act with overwhelming force and strategic coordination to end what it described as the “unacceptable occupation of Nigeria’s forests by heavily armed terrorist and kidnapping syndicates.”

The frontline civil rights group said the successful intelligence-led operation by the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters and vigilantes, which resulted in the elimination of three suspected bandits and the rescue of nine kidnapped victims in Kwara State, has demonstrated beyond doubt that the country’s security agencies possess the operational capacity to defeat criminal groups when intelligence is effectively coordinated and security forces work as one.

HURIWA congratulated the DSS and all personnel who participated in the operation, describing the rescue as courageous, professional and reassuring.

However, the rights advocacy group cautioned that while the operation deserves commendation, it should not be celebrated as an isolated achievement while hundreds of other innocent Nigerians remain in captivity across terrorist enclaves scattered around the country.

According to HURIWA, every successful rescue operation should trigger an even more robust nationwide campaign aimed at dismantling terrorist camps and liberating every Nigerian still being held hostage.

The pro-democracy organisation said millions of Nigerians are asking one unavoidable question:

Who is really in charge of Nigeria’s forests—the constitutional government elected by the Nigerian people or the terrorist gangs that continue to abduct citizens almost at will?

HURIWA said it is deeply troubling that armed criminal groups have continued to invade communities, raid schools, attack farms, intercept travellers on highways, abduct women and children and keep victims in forest camps for weeks and sometimes months without decisive disruption.

The rights body said such incidents have created the dangerous impression that some forests have become safe havens for violent criminal organisations while innocent citizens live in fear.

“This disturbing reality should trouble every patriotic Nigerian. 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.

“Every Nigerian still in terrorist captivity represents not only a humanitarian tragedy but also a painful reminder that the Nigerian State must intensify efforts to protect lives and secure every inch of its territory.”

HURIWA said the persistence of kidnapping despite huge investments in defence, intelligence and internal security calls for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s security architecture.

HURIWA argued that recent events suggest the existence of gaps in intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, surveillance capability, rapid-response operations and the deployment of modern security technology.

According to the civil society organisation, contemporary terrorism cannot be defeated through conventional military tactics alone.

HURIWA therefore called on the Federal Government to urgently expand the deployment of advanced surveillance technology, including long-range drones, satellite imagery, electronic intelligence systems, artificial intelligence-assisted intelligence analysis, geospatial mapping, aerial reconnaissance platforms and modern communications interception capabilities to identify terrorist camps before attacks occur.

It further urged security agencies to strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms and establish unified operational command structures capable of coordinating simultaneous rescue operations across multiple flashpoints.

HURIWA whose press release was endorsed by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, also stressed that terrorism thrives on financing and logistics.

It therefore called on the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and other competent authorities to intensify lawful investigations into suspected financial networks that may facilitate kidnapping and terrorism.

According to the civil rights group, disrupting financial flows, identifying sponsors where evidence exists, monitoring suspicious transactions and dismantling criminal logistics networks are essential components of any successful counter-terrorism strategy.

HURIWA expressed particular concern over reports that numerous Nigerians remain in captivity in parts of Kwara, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Southern Kaduna and other communities that continue to experience recurring attacks.

HURIWA therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to immediately convene the nation’s security leadership and order a coordinated, intelligence-driven nationwide rescue mission involving all relevant security institutions, including the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other specialised security formations.

The association said such operations should be professionally coordinated, adequately resourced and sustained until every hostage is rescued, terrorist camps are dismantled and criminal networks are significantly degraded, while ensuring respect for the rule of law and the protection of civilian lives.

HURIWA insisted that the rescue operation in Kwara should become the operational model for similar interventions across every region where kidnappers continue to hold innocent Nigerians.

“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.”

The association warned that every day innocent Nigerians remain in captivity deepens public anxiety, weakens confidence in state institutions, disrupts economic activities, discourages farming and commerce and inflicts severe psychological trauma on affected families.

HURIWA maintained that Nigerians are not asking for impossible miracles; they are asking for the full deployment of the constitutional powers, institutional capacity and operational capabilities already available to the Nigerian State.

The association urged the President to personally make the rescue of every Nigerian held by terrorists a national emergency and an immediate strategic priority.

“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 Nigerian State must demonstrate through coordinated action that it possesses both the resolve and the capacity to protect every citizen, recover every occupied space and ensure that no terrorist group is permitted to operate beyond the reach of the law.”

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