By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a seven-working-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of terrorists it allegedly knows by name.
The demand follows explosive claims by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi that the authorities are fully aware of the identities and hideouts of every terrorist operating in the country.
The civil rights group has warned that if the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu fails to act within the timeframe, it will take the matter to the international stage. This includes filing formal petitions with Donald Trump, the United States Congress, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate what it describes as the Nigerian government’s “apparent tolerance or protection of terrorists responsible for mass killings across the country.”
In a strongly worded statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, HURIWA said Gumi’s recent televised comments had raised serious national security and legal questions that demand urgent answers.
The group recalled that during an interview on DRTV, the Kaduna-based cleric publicly declared that the government knows the identity and exact location of every terrorist in Nigeria. Gumi also insisted his controversial visits to bandit camps were conducted openly and with the knowledge and presence of security agencies.
According to Gumi, “the government knows every terrorist by name and location,” adding that whenever he engages with armed groups, he is accompanied by the police, military, and other security personnel.
Reacting to the development, HURIWA said the claim, if true, would represent one of the most shocking admissions of state failure in Nigeria’s long-running battle against terrorism.
“HURIWA finds the statement credited to Sheikh Ahmad Gumi extremely disturbing. If indeed the Federal Government knows every terrorist by name and location as claimed, then Nigerians deserve to know why these criminals continue to roam freely, kidnapping schoolchildren, murdering farmers, attacking communities and destabilising the nation,” the group said.
The organisation insisted that if the government already holds actionable intelligence identifying terrorists and their camps, there is no justification for the relentless bloodshed across several states.
“We are therefore giving the Federal Government of Nigeria seven working days to arrest the terrorists whose identities and locations are allegedly known to the authorities and to immediately commence their prosecution in accordance with Nigerian law,” the statement added.
HURIWA further argued that the cleric’s continued freedom, despite his admitted interactions with terrorist groups, raises troubling questions about the seriousness of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy.
“If Sheikh Gumi truly has extensive knowledge of the identities and locations of terrorists, why have security agencies not invited him for comprehensive questioning or investigation? His freedom without scrutiny lends credibility to his assertion that the government is already aware of these terrorists and yet has failed to act,” the group said.
The rights organisation warned that if no concrete action is taken within the seven-day window, it will launch international legal advocacy to hold Nigeria’s leadership accountable for what it described as crimes against humanity arising from persistent terrorist attacks.
“HURIWA will formally petition the United States Congress, the administration of President Donald Trump, and the International Criminal Court to demand a global inquiry into the Nigerian government’s handling of terrorism, including the possibility that state negligence or complicity is enabling these atrocities,” it stated.
The group argued that persistent massacres, kidnappings, and attacks on civilians in Nigeria meet the threshold of crimes against humanity under international law if authorities knowingly fail to prevent them.
HURIWA also cited several legal authorities establishing that individuals who possess knowledge of serious crimes and fail to report or act upon such knowledge may themselves face criminal liability.
The organisation referenced Section 10 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, which criminalises knowingly assisting, facilitating, or failing to disclose information relating to terrorist activities.
The group also pointed to provisions of the Criminal Code Act, which recognise the offence of being an accessory after the fact where a person knowingly aids offenders to evade justice.
HURIWA further cited the landmark case of R v. Sykes, which established that a person who knowingly assists offenders or shields them from prosecution becomes criminally liable.
Another relevant authority, the Nigerian Supreme Court decision in FRN v. Osahon, reaffirmed the duty of citizens and law enforcement institutions to cooperate in bringing offenders to justice and preventing impunity.
According to the rights group, these legal precedents reinforce the principle that possessing credible knowledge of criminal activities without taking steps to report or stop them may amount to complicity.
“The law is clear that silence or inaction in the face of known criminal activity can amount to aiding and abetting crime. This is why the Federal Government must urgently clarify whether Sheikh Gumi’s claims are accurate and, if they are, immediately move to neutralise these terrorists,” HURIWA said.
The organisation stressed that the ultimatum is intended to compel transparency and decisive action at a time when millions of Nigerians are living under constant threat of terrorist attacks.
“HURIWA will not stand idly by while Nigerians are slaughtered daily. If the government knows these terrorists and their locations, then the time for excuses has expired. The time for arrests and prosecution is now,” the group declared.
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