Suspected fighters from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have reportedly established new hideouts in Tuba settlement near facilities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
Local sources and farmers in Jere said the militants have built a fortified base in the northern part of the council area, raising fears of fresh attacks around the outskirts of Maiduguri.
Residents reported seeing about 200 motorcycles parked at the suspected fortress used by the insurgents, suggesting preparations for coordinated raids.
The terrorists are believed to be targeting the NNPCL exploration site and nearby communities including Dusuman, Ngom, Jabarman, Gongulong Lawanti and Koshebe, as well as the outskirts of Muna Garage, about 20 kilometres east of Maiduguri.
Other potential targets include Madinatu, the Maiduguri cattle market and motorists travelling along the Maiduguri–Monguno and Mafa roads.
Security sources said the insurgents typically deploy small attack teams on motorcycles towards Ngom community along the Maiduguri–Dikwa road. The fighters reportedly move through the 40-kilometre Maiduguri–Mafa road corridor before heading towards Konduga Local Government Area on the southern fringe of Sambisa Forest, one of the main hideouts of insurgent groups in the North-East.
A 65-year-old hunter, Konto Aliyu, warned that the militants’ presence poses a serious threat to nearby communities and military formations. He urged the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major-General Abdulsalam Abubakar, to destroy the hideouts in Jere to weaken the insurgents’ ability to launch attacks on army bases and civilian settlements.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute terrorists operating in the country.
The demand follows recent remarks by Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi, who claimed during a televised interview that the government knows the identities and locations of terrorists across Nigeria.
According to Gumi, he has interacted with armed groups in the presence of government officials and security agencies.
Reacting to the claims, HURIWA’s national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the remarks raise serious national security and legal concerns.
The group warned that if the claim proves accurate, it would indicate a major failure in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
HURIWA threatened to escalate the matter internationally if the government fails to act within seven working days.
The organisation said it would petition the United States Congress, the administration of Donald Trump and the International Criminal Court to demand an inquiry into the Nigerian government’s handling of terrorism.
“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 said.
The rights organisation added that legal precedents show that failing to act on credible knowledge of criminal activity could amount to aiding and abetting crime.
HURIWA therefore urged the government to clarify whether Gumi’s claims are accurate and, if confirmed, immediately neutralise the terrorists.
