The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on security agencies to arrest and investigate Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, over comments the group described as sympathetic to terrorists and capable of undermining Nigeria’s anti-terror war.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the rights group accused the Federal Government of maintaining what it a “dangerous silence” over recent remarks credited to the cleric during a television appearance.
HURIWA said Nigerians were shocked by comments allegedly made by Gumi on May 19 in which he urged citizens to learn how to live with terrorists while suggesting that bandits rely on kidnapping proceeds to sustain their operations against security forces.
The group described the remarks as reckless and provocative, warning that statements perceived to justify or rationalise terrorism could embolden criminal gangs responsible for killings, abductions and attacks across several parts of the country.
According to HURIWA, no influential public figure should make comments that appear to normalise violence at a time communities are under constant attacks, schoolchildren are being abducted and farmers displaced from their lands.
The organisation backed earlier calls by activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, for the cleric to face investigation under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
It argued that the law criminalises not only acts of terrorism but also actions or statements capable of encouraging, supporting or justifying terrorist activities.
“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,” the group stated.
HURIWA also accused authorities of applying double standards in the handling of security-related comments, alleging that some individuals receive protection while others are aggressively prosecuted for inflammatory statements.
The advocacy group warned that failure to act decisively could create the impression that violent groups enjoy ideological backing from powerful interests within the country.
It stressed that Nigerians were already overwhelmed by worsening insecurity, mass kidnappings and killings, insisting that religious leaders and public figures must speak in ways that support national unity and ongoing security operations.
The organisation therefore urged the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation to launch an immediate investigation into the cleric’s comments and determine whether any laws had been violated.
HURIWA maintained that democracy could not thrive where terrorism is normalised through rhetoric or treated with political caution.