By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has praised United States President Donald John Trump for authorising air strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) elements operating in parts of Nigeria, describing the move as a bold and decisive response to years of unchecked terrorist violence across the country.
The commendation followed recent confirmation by U.S. authorities that American forces carried out targeted air operations against ISIS-linked fighters in north-west Nigeria.
President Trump had reiterated his administration’s readiness to confront terrorist groups posing threats to global security.
According to reports, the strikes hit camps and logistics hubs associated with the Islamic State’s West Africa and Sahel networks, which have in recent years expanded their activities in Nigeria’s northern region.
HURIWA said the action reflected a level of political will and military clarity that has been largely absent in the international response to terrorism in Nigeria.
The group noted that extremist organisations such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and armed Fulani terror militias have operated with deadly impunity for more than a decade.
The association recalled that terrorist violence in Nigeria has claimed well over 60,000 lives, with many others displaced, abducted or injured.
It cited repeated attacks on villages, places of worship, schools and security formations, as well as the destruction of livelihoods and farmlands, as defining features of the prolonged insurgency.
HURIWA stated that Boko Haram and its affiliates have devastated entire communities, emptied towns across the North-East and North-West, and contributed to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
It added that armed Fulani extremist groups have continued coordinated attacks on farming communities in the Middle Belt and southern Kaduna, often with minimal resistance.
The rights group urged the United States and its allies to sustain military pressure on ISIS, Boko Haram and allied terror factions, stressing that the groups must be systematically weakened until they lose the capacity to inflict harm.
However, it cautioned that all counter-terrorism operations must be conducted with precision to prevent civilian casualties and protect already traumatised populations.
HURIWA also called on the Nigerian government to move beyond rhetoric by adopting more decisive security measures, including improved intelligence coordination, sustained military operations, prosecution of terror financiers and collaborators, and stronger protection for vulnerable communities.
In a related development, the association criticised Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over his repeated public comments perceived as sympathetic to armed groups and dismissive of robust military action against terrorists.
HURIWA described such positions as dangerous at a time when Nigeria is battling violent extremism.
The group demanded that the Department of State Services (DSS) investigate Sheikh Gumi’s statements and activities, insisting that no individual should be allowed to undermine national security or provide moral justification for groups responsible for widespread violence and instability.
HURIWA maintained that Nigeria’s fight against terrorism requires unity, clarity of purpose and zero tolerance for extremism and its enablers, warning that continued hesitation would only embolden violent groups and prolong civilian suffering.
While welcoming international military support, the association stressed that Nigeria must demonstrate unwavering resolve to decisively defeat terrorism in all its forms and restore safety, justice and stability across the federation.
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