The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for immediate sanctions following reports that nine military officers allegedly linked to Boko Haram terrorists escaped from a military guardroom at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said information filtering out of Maiduguri indicated that the officers escaped on Monday from the cantonment where they were being detained.

HURIWA described the development as “deeply troubling”, particularly at a time when the country is grappling with the United States government’s warning of possible airstrikes targeting terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP.

“If the report is factually accurate, then there is more to it than meets the eye,” Onwubiko said. “It means there is a high network of conspiratorial plots within the command structures, and these collaborators and saboteurs of the war on terror must be identified, arrested, prosecuted for treason, and jailed for life.”

The group urged the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, to treat the matter as a high-priority case and ensure the immediate re-arrest of the escapees.

“If this is true, it validates the position of Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, that saboteurs within the military are undermining the fight against terrorism,” Onwubiko said.

Although the Nigerian Army has yet to officially comment on the reported incident, the escapees were allegedly involved in arms trafficking to terrorist groups operating in the North-East. Reports of the jailbreak have reportedly raised serious concern within Nigeria’s security establishment.

HURIWA expressed disappointment that the escape occurred just days after President Bola Tinubu appointed new service chiefs, describing it as “a deliberate act to send a message that saboteurs within the system feel untouchable.”

The group warned that allowing such high-profile suspects to flee was a serious breach of national security.

“When we call for heads to roll, we truly mean that bad eggs must be immediately weeded out of the Army,” the statement added. “It is time for a transparent overhaul of the military operations against terrorists, as the infiltration of the institution by informants and arms suppliers is a national disgrace.”