The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch a coordinated nationwide offensive against terrorists and kidnappers operating from forests across the country, insisting that criminal groups must not be allowed to control any part of Nigeria’s territory.

The group made the call on Saturday while commending the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters and vigilantes for rescuing nine kidnapped victims during a joint security operation in Kwara State.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the operation as evidence that intelligence-driven collaboration among security agencies could effectively dismantle criminal networks and rescue victims.

The rights group said the successful operation, which reportedly led to the killing of three suspected bandits, should serve as a model for similar interventions across the country.

According to HURIWA, the rescue demonstrated that security agencies possess the operational capacity to defeat terrorists when intelligence is effectively coordinated and all relevant forces work together.

While applauding the security operatives, the organisation warned against treating the operation as an isolated success, noting that many Nigerians remain in captivity in different parts of the country.

It argued that every successful rescue mission should trigger broader operations aimed at dismantling terrorist camps and securing the release of all abducted persons.

HURIWA expressed concern over what it described as the growing influence of armed criminal groups operating from forests, saying the situation has raised questions about the state’s control over some parts of the country.

“It is unacceptable that criminal gangs can establish camps, move abducted citizens across forests, negotiate ransoms and continue to threaten communities while families wait endlessly for news of their loved ones,” the group said.

It added that every Nigerian still in captivity “represents not only a humanitarian tragedy but also a painful reminder that the Nigerian State must intensify efforts to protect lives and secure every inch of its territory.”

The organisation said persistent kidnapping despite increased spending on security underscores the need for a review of the country’s security architecture.

It identified gaps in intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, surveillance, rapid-response operations and the deployment of modern security technology as areas requiring urgent attention.

HURIWA urged the Federal Government to expand the use of advanced surveillance tools, including long-range drones, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence-assisted intelligence analysis, geospatial mapping, aerial reconnaissance platforms and communications interception systems to identify terrorist camps before attacks occur.

It also called for stronger intelligence-sharing among security agencies and the establishment of unified operational command structures capable of coordinating simultaneous rescue missions across multiple flashpoints.

The rights group further urged financial and anti-corruption agencies, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, to intensify investigations into financial networks suspected of supporting kidnapping and terrorism.

According to HURIWA, disrupting the funding sources of criminal groups is critical to weakening their operations.

The organisation also expressed concern over reports that many victims are still being held by kidnappers in parts of Kwara, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Southern Kaduna.

It therefore called on President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to convene the country’s security chiefs and direct a sustained, intelligence-led nationwide operation involving the military, DSS, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies.

“The success recorded in Kwara proves that when intelligence is timely, agencies collaborate effectively and operational decisions are decisive, terrorists can be confronted and innocent lives can be saved,” the group said.

“There is no reason why such coordinated operations cannot be replicated simultaneously across every kidnapping hotspot in Nigeria.”

HURIWA warned that prolonged captivity of innocent Nigerians continues to fuel public anxiety, undermine confidence in state institutions and disrupt farming, commerce and other economic activities.

It urged the President to treat the rescue of all hostages as a national emergency, insisting that Nigeria must reclaim every territory occupied by criminal elements and ensure that no terrorist group operates beyond the reach of the law.