By Uche Onyeali
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has criticised President Bola Tinubu and the current military leadership for what it described as a complete failure to implement a winning strategy in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
HURIWA made its position known yesterday in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The group expressed outrage over the recent developments in Zamfara and Niger States, where terrorists have not only continued to terrorise local communities, but have also managed to capture military hardware, further exposing the weaknesses in Nigeria’s security apparatus.
It condemned President Tinubu’s decision to send a delegation led by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, and the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, to Sokoto as part of efforts to address banditry and terrorism in the North-West.
The human rights organisation dismissed this move as mere political posturing that fails to address the root causes of insecurity or provide a concrete strategy for victory.
HURIWA questioned the effectiveness of dispatching high-profile government officials to Sokoto without a clear, actionable plan.
“Sending a minister or the CDS to Sokoto is not a strategy; it is a political stunt. Are these officials going to lead troops into battle? Are they going to dismantle terrorist networks themselves? This is not what Nigerians expect from their leaders. Nigerians want a real, winning strategy—something the current administration and military chiefs have failed to deliver,” Onwubiko said.
HURIWA did not mince words in calling out what it sees as the underlying reasons for the persistent failure in the fight against terrorism: incompetence at the highest level of the military and the politicisation of key appointments. The organisation lamented that the president, possibly due to ethnic considerations or political patronage, has refused to appoint the most competent Generals to lead the armed forces.
“There is no excuse for the president to continue appointing incompetent military leaders when there are qualified Generals across various ethnic groups who can lead this country out of the security quagmire. The continued reliance on Generals who lack the strategic acumen to defeat these terrorists is not only frustrating, but dangerous for the country,” HURIWA stated.
The group pointed to the recent events in Zamfara State, where terrorists led by Bello Turji were seen celebrating the capture of an Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, belonging to the Nigerian Army. According to reports, the military vehicle got stuck in a marshy area, forcing troops to abandon it temporarily. However, the situation was exploited by terrorists who then boasted about their capture of the vehicle, further demoralising both the military and the general populace.
It also expressed deep concern over the failure of the intelligence community to monitor and intercept terrorist communications effectively. The organisation noted that despite the significant resources allocated to intelligence and security agencies, they have been unable to detect and disrupt terrorist networks operating within the country.
Citing a recent report by SB Morgen, SBM Intelligence, HURIWA highlighted the grim reality that over 1,056 Nigerians were killed in kidnap-related incidents between July 2023 and June 2024, while kidnappers demanded an astounding N10.9 billion in ransom during the same period.
The organisation criticised government’s lack of comprehensive strategy to combat these crimes, which have become increasingly brazen and widespread.
In the light of these failures, HURIWA called for a complete overhaul of the military leadership and a new, merit-based approach to appointments within the armed forces. The organisation stressed that the only way to defeat terrorists and restore peace is through competent leadership that is not compromised by political or ethnic considerations.
