Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have reportedly established new hideouts in the Tuba settlement, near the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in Jere Local Government Council of Borno State.

This development comes as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), gave the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to arrest and prosecute terrorists based on claims by Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, that the government knew the names and locations of all terrorists operating in the country.

According to reliable local sources and Jere farmers, about 200 motorcycles were observed at a fortress used by the terrorists in Northern parts of Borno State.

The terrorists have targeted the NNPCL exploration site and neighbouring settlements such as Dusuman, Ngom, Jabarman, GongulongLawanti, Koshebe and the outskirts of Muna Garage, 20 kilometres east of Maiduguri, The Guardian learnt.

Other targets include Madinatu, the Maiduguri cattle market and motorists and commuters travelling on the Maiduguri-Monguno and Mafa roads.

Reports indicate that the two terror groups sends small attacking detachments on motorcycles towards Ngom community along the Maiduguri-Dikwa road, crossing over to the 40km Maiduguri Mafa road, and eventually reaching Konduga Local Council on the southern fringe of Sambisa Forest, a main hideout for insurgents in the North-East.

In addition to establishing a fortress and escape routes, a 65-year-old hunter named KontoAliyu expressed concern about the security threats posed by the terrorists’ presence in the council areas. He urged the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Maj-Gen. AbdulsalamAbubakar, to destroy the hideouts in Jere, to weaken their operational capabilities in attacking Army bases and surrounding communities.

HURIWA, through its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, raised serious national security and legal concerns in response to Gumi’s recent televised remarks.

According to Gumi, the government knows the identity and exact location of every terrorist in the country and that he interacts with armed groups in the presence of government officials and security agencies.

HURIWA demanded urgent action from the government, stating that “if the claims are true, it reveals a shocking failure” in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.

The group threatened to pursue international legal advocacy if concrete action is not taken within seven working days to address the ongoing terrorist attacks in the country.

It stressed that the ultimatum was intended to compel transparency and decisive action at a time millions of Nigerians are living under constant threat of terrorist attacks.

“HURIWA will formally petition the United States (U.S.) Congress, the administration of President Donald Trump and the International Criminal Court (ICC) 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.

“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.

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 Gumi’s claims are accurate and, if they are, immediately move to neutralise these terrorists,” HURIWA said. (The Guardian)

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