The kidnappers must be declared a terrorist, Huriwa told Tinubu, a member of parliament

The Association of Nigerian Human Rights Writers (Huriwa) has urged the President of the Ball Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to immediately change the counter-terrorism acts of the country, demanding that the kidnappers be legally recognized as terrorists considering what he described as an increasing national crisis.

In a very strong statement issued by its national coordinator, Camelarad Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group stressed that kidnapping had developed into a direct threat to Nigeria’s security and economy, especially in the southeast.

“The government must act now. We hope that the government does not wait for one of the national governors or national legislators to be kidnapped by the kidnapper before fast, comprehensive, and effectively taken to fight the abduction,” Onwubiko said.

Citing alarming numbers from the recent report by SBM Intelligence, Huriwa revealed that between July 2024 and June 2025, a total of 257 people were kidnapped in the southeast, contributing 5.6% of the 4,722 kidnappings that were recorded nationally.

The report, entitled “Business Locust – Nigerian kidnapping industry economy: 2025 reform”, shows that the state of Enugu led a regional chart with 123 reported cases reported, followed by Anambra (63), IMO (42), Abia (27), and Ebonyi (2). According to data, the kidnapper in the region demanded more than ₦ 1 billion ransom but managed to collect only ₦ 157.55 million – only 6.1% of ₦ 2.56 billion paid in a national ransom.

“The southeast and southern-south faces targeted the abduction of religion and financial extortion,” Huriwa said, quoting the SBM report, added that “priests and professionals are the most affected.”

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The organization also condemned the surge of Christian scholars’ abduction, citing new kidnappings from Rev. Fr. Wilfred Ezemba from the Parish of St. Paul, agaliga-effabo in the state of Kogi. This refers to a separate report by the international community for civil and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which revealed that more than 19,100 churches have been destroyed by terrorists in Nigeria in the last 16 years.

Calling for urgent legal reforms, Huriwa stated: “There is a clear relationship between terrorism and kidnapping. The law must reflect that reality. We call on the kidnapping to be classified as a capital violation, with the most severe punishment by hanging prescribed. The Governor must also be willing to sign the execution warrants in the recording time.” “”

This group stated anger over what he saw as a failure of political classes to treat the kidnapping crisis with urgency. This criticized the spread of security personnel, especially to protect the elite, making ordinary Nigerians exposed to daily threats.

Huriwa condemned how “a significant percentage of security agents paid and maintained with taxpayers was deployed to specifically protect leading public office holders while citizens were usually abandoned for their fate.”

In the pointed reprimands of the southeast leaders, Huriwa was aiming at Governor Hope Uzodinma, the Chairperson of the APC Governor Forum, accused him of prioritizing the appearance in Abuja for the unsafe sense of deteriorating at home.

“We urge the governors, holders of political offices, and civil society, religious and traditional leaders in the southeast to hold emergency regional security summit. Time to act now. Bloodshell, fear, and economic paralysis in the region must end,” the group stated.

Huriwa concluded with a warning that continuous latitude would be involvement through silence. Only bold legislative changes and executive actions that determine, he said, can stem the wave of kidnapping and restore security.