By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
ABUJA — The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has launched a blistering attack on the Federal Government, accusing it of “dangerous silence and double standards” over recent comments made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, and demanding his immediate investigation for potential breaches of the country’s anti-terrorism laws.
In a fiery statement issued on Saturday, the rights group warned that Nigeria risks legitimising terrorism if influential figures who make statements perceived as sympathetic to bandits continue to escape scrutiny.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the nation was left stunned by Gumi’s appearance on AIT on May 19, during which the cleric reportedly urged Nigerians to “learn how to live with terrorists” and suggested that bandits rely on kidnapping proceeds to sustain their war against government forces.
The organisation described the remarks as reckless, provocative and insensitive, arguing that they risk emboldening violent criminal gangs that have turned vast swathes of Nigeria into killing fields.
“At a time when communities are being sacked daily, schoolchildren abducted, travellers kidnapped on highways and farmers driven from their lands, no public figure should make statements that rationalise terrorism or portray mass murderers as unavoidable partners in coexistence,” the group said.
HURIWA backed earlier calls by activist barrister Deji Adeyanju for Gumi to face prosecution under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, insisting the law clearly criminalises not just direct acts of terror but also support, encouragement, justification or ideological sympathy that could aid terrorist operations.
The rights group also accused the Federal Government of operating a selective justice system, pointing out that authorities have aggressively pursued separatist figures such as Nnamdi Kanu over alleged inflammatory broadcasts while repeatedly overlooking controversial comments linked to armed bandit groups in the North.
“The fight against terrorism cannot be selective. A nation that punishes one set of voices while shielding others destroys the moral foundation of justice and weakens public trust in the rule of law,” HURIWA declared.
The organisation further warned that failure to decisively address statements perceived as sympathetic to terrorists could send a dangerous signal that violent groups enjoy ideological protection from powerful interests.
Stressing that Nigerians are exhausted by bloodshed, mass abductions and chronic insecurity, HURIWA called on the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and the Attorney-General of the Federation to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into Gumi’s comments.
“No democracy can survive where terrorism is normalised through rhetoric, defended through silence, or treated with political caution,” the group added.
As of press time, the Federal Government and Sheikh Gumi had yet to respond to the allegations.
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